ethical question

anonymous • Mar 6, 2011 12:58 pm
If you and your spouse share the same doctor and your spouse is not addressing a significant health issue they have is it ethical for you to tell the doctor and ask that he or she bring up the issue with spouse?
limey • Mar 6, 2011 2:28 pm
I'd do it.
Sundae • Mar 6, 2011 2:29 pm
I'd do it too, but the ethics are all on the Doctor. Whether he/she is able to address it is another issue.
zippyt • Mar 6, 2011 2:30 pm
Yeppers , tough Nerts if it pisses off Spouse , you care enough to say some thing , they will get over it
Clodfobble • Mar 6, 2011 2:49 pm
That's what spouses are supposed to do, take care of each other when the other one is being too pigheaded to take care of themselves.
DanaC • Mar 6, 2011 2:52 pm
I think it would depend on the nature of the problem and the possible ramifications of not dealing with it.
Flint • Mar 6, 2011 11:48 pm
Yes, that's your job.
monster • Mar 7, 2011 1:12 am
No. i wouldn't. But I'd make damn sure he went himself.
If it was the only way left, yes, I might, but that just isn't our relationship.
sexobon • Mar 7, 2011 3:23 am
Any couple going to go to the same doctor does so knowing that health histories and concerns are overlapping; so, there's no reasonable expectation of privacy between the spouses. That constitutes implied consent for the release of information about each other. For privacy, spouses should be going to separate doctors.

The physician; however, should not divulge any information about one spouse to the other without express consent. If you divulge something about your spouse to the physician, do not expect the physician to follow up with you (not even as to whether or not the matter was brought up with your spouse) without your spouse's express consent.

To avoid resentment and mistrust between spouses, I recommend telling your spouse that you're going to divulge such information to your shared doctor so your spouse has the opportunity to change doctors. If you don't give your spouse that opportunity and your actions are discovered, it may be construed as a betrayal. Your spouse may change doctors afterwards anyway and information you divulged to your shared doctor may be rendered moot. You could end up back where you began only with a diminished relationship.

There's a good chance your spouse won't find it worth the trouble to change doctors thus enabling you to prevail on the up and up.
GunMaster357 • Mar 14, 2011 9:42 am
Being married or just living together is a relationship based on trust.

If your health becomes an issue that you need to hide from your partner, you break the trust.

If you share the same doctor, my opinion is that the doctor should treat the two people as one entity.
Shawnee123 • Mar 14, 2011 11:21 am
If you don't like your spouse, best to let the disease take its course, but make sure you have plenty of life insurance on them.

If you like your spouse, I suppose you'd kick them in the ass until they got themselves evaluated.

Sneaky is too sneaky.
xoxoxoBruce • Mar 14, 2011 7:38 pm
My mother would make an appointment for Pop, and go with him to make sure everything pertinent was discussed.
Aliantha • Mar 14, 2011 7:44 pm
I would talk to the doctor. After all, I have no oath to prohibit me from talking about it, and if the doc has no prior knowledge, then there's no reason they can't discuss it with you, especially in the context that it affects your health in a round about sort of way.

BTW: Nice to see you posting Bruce. :)
HungLikeJesus • Mar 14, 2011 8:36 pm
Aliantha;716686 wrote:
I would talk to the doctor. After all, I have no oath to prohibit me from talking about it, and if the doc has no prior knowledge, then there's no reason they can't discuss it with you, especially in the context that it affects your health in a round about sort of way.


What about that whole "in sickness and in health" thing? You're trying to get out of the first part.

Aliantha;716686 wrote:
...

BTW: Nice to see you posting Bruce. :)


I agree.
Aliantha • Mar 14, 2011 10:09 pm
HungLikeJesus;716700 wrote:
What about that whole "in sickness and in health" thing? You're trying to get out of the first part.





Wanting your spouse not to be sick doesn't mean you don't love them if they are.
Pete Zicato • Mar 14, 2011 10:15 pm
xoxoxoBruce;716684 wrote:
My mother would make an appointment for Pop, and go with him to make sure everything pertinent was discussed.

Hey it's Bruce! Look everybody, it's Bruce! :D


Welcome back man.
glatt • Mar 14, 2011 10:20 pm
Act casual. Don't scare him away. ;)
TheMercenary • Mar 15, 2011 10:18 am
You can certainly tell your doctor anything you want to tell him/her. However, the doctor is prevented by law from telling you anything about your spouse without express written permission and you should not ask anything about the spouses condition. Now this is not always the case when serious or sudden illness arises but in general health maintenance it is the law of the land that he/she not discuss anything with you about the other person.
wolf • Mar 15, 2011 11:45 am
Yes, dime the spouse out to the doctor.
SamIam • Mar 15, 2011 12:41 pm
Nag your spouse into submission.