[Gatsky]

The president of Medicens sans frontieres, Rowan Gillies, gave a speech once. He had a drawing of a patient and the doctor inside a circle. His comment was 'Other people keep trying to climb into this circle. They can all fuck off.' Excuse his profanity, but I offer this response to you, who knows nothing about what I do, and understands nothing about quality healthcare.

[prashp]

Of course if you ask a clincian if they should be regulated more, they will say no. The fewer stakeholders involved in the relationship between patient and doctor, the more power the doctor has. The truth is there should be others involved, at the very least the government health agencies.

[Gatsky]

Actually doctors would be universally happy to get more help and support to deliver better healthcare. That you don't talk about that is quite telling, or is that what you mean by 'regulation'?

Casting the patient doctor relationship in terms of power dynamics is a bogus sociological construct divorced from reality. The true division of power is between those who fund healthcare and those who receive it, I would start there if you think things need to be improved.

[joebob42]

What if the patient wants other people in the circle? (I do, when I'm a patient. I've never really trusted doctors I've had due to my perception of competing motivations, and they've given me reason for that distrust more than once).

[Gatsky]

Sorry to hear you have suffered poor quality interactions with doctors. Being honest, if there is no trust in the relationship between patient and doctor, then nothing else matters much as the experience will be poor on both sides.

Patient can of course bring whoever they want into the circle. The problem is the intrusions that neither healthcare provider nor patient want.

[anonymouskimmer]

From the point of view of the experienced patient it's not a single circle, it's a Venn diagram with the patient at the center of multiple overlapping circles.

But sure, uninvited third parties shouldn't butt their head in often, except for the occasional regulator.