Using Metaphors to Characterize Doctor--Patient Relationships: Paternalism Versus Consumerism

I will explain the two metaphors that explain the relation between physician and patient, parent style, and consumerism. Discuss the meaning of each metaphor, the implicit character in the reference relation, the expectation of the motivation for the doctor and the patient, and the result of the acceptable relationship. Parents' style emphasizes obligation, consumerism emphasizes rights. Parent's style considers physician to be beneficial; consumerism assumes physician is self-centered. Parent's style means trust, consumerism replaces trust and responsibility. Parental style is based on the premise that superior health care principles take precedence over individual treatment options and consumerism assumes that the patient's health care value dominates. In parental style it is assumed that third-party intervention is inappropriate and that consumerism may need third party supervision. Conflicts may arise if doctors and patients use different metaphors to deal with this relationship. Even if doctors and patients agree on a paternalistic relationship, society may demand accountability of consumers. Institutionalization of medical consumerism may reproduce paternalism in the context of patient advocates and third-party payer who undertake the paternal role that was once held by doctors.

In recent decades, the relationship between the patient and the physician is better than the style of doctors and doctors featuring the parent's style to make decisions based on professional value, and the information the physician can provide to the patient It developed from a fair decision-making relationship. The fact that adult patients can make their own choices is called "informed consent". Informed consent has four important elements: disclosure, ability, understanding, and volunteer.

I will explain the two metaphors that explain the relation between physician and patient, parent style, and consumerism. Discuss the meaning of each metaphor, the implicit character in the reference relation, the expectation of the motivation for the doctor and the patient, and the result of the acceptable relationship. Parents' style emphasizes obligation, consumerism emphasizes rights. Parent's style considers physician to be beneficial; consumerism assumes physician is self-centered. Parent's style means trust, consumerism replaces trust and responsibility. Parental style is based on the premise that superior health care principles take precedence over individual treatment options and consumerism assumes that the patient's health care value dominates. In parental style it is assumed that third-party intervention is inappropriate and that consumerism may need third party supervision. If doctors and patients use different metaphors to deal with this relationship, inconsistencies may occur.