Around the Island

Friday Night Dialogues at the Library: Talking medical ethics

REPORTER FILE PHOTO
REPORTER FILE PHOTO

“The treatment of the disease may be entirely impersonal; the care of the patient must be completely personal” – Francis Weld Peabody, M.D.

When it comes to health care, the priority concerns tend to be cost, coverage and accessibility. But how many people know, or care, about the ethical and social issues in medicine that can have a huge impact on autonomy, patient rights and compassionate care? Do you know what questions to ask, and how to ask them, when you visit a doctor? Do you know how long it takes for a physician to begin formulating a diagnosis during an initial consult? (Hint: it’s a lot shorter than you think!) 

A growing body of evidence suggests that patients, and those named as a health care proxy, should be better educated about their own rights and responsibilities, and how to better communicate their concerns effectively with health care professionals.

On the flip side, attention also needs to be given to the bureaucratic, economic and physical pressures doctors face in their effort to deliver effective patient treatment.

These issues and many others will be covered in an engaging and informative presentation on May 13 by the Rev. Michael Vetrano, Ph.D. , author of “Medical Ethics for Patients: How Knowledge About Ethics & Patient Rights Can Help You Optimize Your Health Care,” at the library tonight at 7 p.m.

He will illuminate the concerns of both patient and doctor, give a short history of doctor patient relationships and provide the audience with the tools necessary to be a better informed patient. Included in his talk is a short but extremely eye-opening video on medical ethics that goes to the heart of the difficult choices both patient and doctor regularly face. For those with questions about their own medical issues, or for those of a loved one, this Friday Night Dialogue will bring a whole new meaning to the term “informed decision”.

Dr. Vetrano is Research Assistant Professor, Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine, SUNY School of Medicine at Stony Brook NY where he directs the second year program in medical ethics and humanities. Covered in his courses are: Clinical Ethics and Decision Making, Doctor-Patient Communication, Spirituality and Health Care and Religion and Bioethics.