5 Duties a Healthcare Provider Has Towards His Patients

Professionals in the world of health, doctors, examine and prescribe the necessary pharmaceutical or hospital treatment to patients. Faced with health problems such as illness, injury, psychological shock, etc., doctors must make a diagnosis based on multiple elements such as clinical interrogation during which the patient describes what he feels, auscultation in the form of examination, blood pressure and other functional explorations. In all cases, whether it concerns generalists or specialists, including cardiologists, radiologists, pediatricians, etc., they must all hold a medical license to practice medicine.

Here are some of the duties that a doctor has towards a patient:

1) Inform the Patient

An experienced doctor must deliver complete and fair information to his patient. The patient, regardless of the seriousness of his illness, should be aware of:

• The different treatments available 
• The risks involved
• The probability that treatments are successful 
• The fees
• Any new details about the patient’s health once he starts the treatment 

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2) Provide Attentive Care to Patients

A doctor must act within the limits of his competence. If in doubt, the doctor should inquire or refer the patient to a specialist. In this way, the doctor avoids putting the patient at risk. This also helps better diagnose any health problems patients might be facing without any unnecessary complications. Furthermore, the patient is free to choose the health care provider to treat him and the facility he requests, except for other specific peculiarities. For instance, he can look for a second opinion from another healthcare practitioner.

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3) Treat All Patients in the Same Way

The doctor must listen, examine, advise, and treat all patients with the same consciousness regardless of their traits. This includes their origin, belonging or non-belonging to a specific ethnic group, their customs, religion, nation, state of health, disability, or any kind of feelings the physician may have towards them. He must assist them in any circumstances and must not depart from a correct and attentive attitude towards the person being examined.

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4) Ensure That Patients Give Their Consent for Treatments

To start any treatment, a patient should firstly give his consent after receiving clear, complete, and appropriate information about the treatment from the doctor. Additionally, the consent should not be expressed under any kind of threat or intimidation. The patient has the right to refuse treatment if he wishes to. However, if the patient refuses treatment and puts his life at risk, the physician should not give in. He must try to convince the patient by giving him all the necessary details again, making sure that they are correctly understood.

5) Maintain Confidentiality

A relationship of trust must be established between the patient and healthcare professionals. Without confidence, the patient cannot fully open up to professionals to express the difficulties he suffers from. In the same way, doctors may not be informed enough to provide the best care without patients trusting them. In this case, the patient will not be comfortable to disclose any personal, physical, or psychological information required for treatment. Hence, doctors must assure them that any information disclosed concerning the identity of the individual, his pathology, personal or family issues, or any other concerns will remain strictly confidential.

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Doctors are required to treat patients with respect, taking into account their personality and their rights. The establishment of this trust-based relationship also greatly depends on the training of the doctor, his experience, and his license issued to practice medicine.

It is illegal to practice medicine without holding an appropriate license. Practicing medicine without a valid license may lead to disciplinary measures against a physician, including an expired, delinquent license or legal and criminal actions. Failure to renew a medical license within the required timeframe also leads to financial consequences. For example, if a license is not renewed for more than 90 days after its expiration date, the individual will have to pay a penalty fee in addition to the renewal fee.

Some medical licenses are also often subject to misconceptions or generated on poor knowledge. Such actions can lead to the public losing trust upon a doctor since many may inappropriately use their medical degree for profit only. Moreover, patients may face medical negligence since, without a medical license, it can be hard to determine whether the individual has the necessary knowledge and skill to bring relief to the person suffering. That being said, the team at Nationwide Medical Licensing can help you with your application if you work in the medical field and need medical licensing services. If your license is expired or invalid for years, they can also assist with license renewal matters. Don’t miss this opportunity and contact the expert at Nationwide Medical Licensing to avoid any cancellation issues regarding your medical license! Their experts are always ready to assist you!