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Unfortunately, many doctors and lawyers have a reputation for protecting their own. Some doctors consider it unethical to interfere with another doctor's treatment of a patient, even if that doctor is harming the patient. A physician who blows the whistle on a fellow doctor's negligence may be regarded by his colleagues as lacking in professional integrity. Presumably, it is better to let a bad doctor do his damage quietly than to inform the patient or his family of impending danger. Lawyers, like many other professionals, maintain a closed society whose members all too often place their collective self-interest above that of the public. It is difficult for the average lay person to know when he or she is getting poor medical or legal care. This is true partly because of the technical language that doctors and lawyers use and their apparent reluctance to explain fundamental concepts. The result of this professional market failure is that you must be cautious when you are making a selection of a doctor or lawyer. In the case of doctors, be aware of your legal right to have access to your medical records and files. If you sign an authorization to have your records released, and pay a reasonable charge for the cost of photocopying them, you are entitled to have all your records and X-rays. Similarly, the file generated by your lawyer is part of what you have purchased. You, then, can have these records reviewed by another doctor or lawyer who will agree to give you an honest opinion about the quality of care or service you have received. Your search for a doctor or lawyer who will do this may take you out of the community where you live, but it can be done. As a society, we pay a high cost for medical and legal care. At the very least, this entitles us to honest answers to questions about the quality of professional services. |