Healthcare Reform and the Doctor-Patient Relationship

Many physicians today are wrestling with the changes brought on by health care reform while they continue to run their practices and treat their patients. This can be a challenging experience, not to mention a daunting, stressful and frustrating one. These sentiments were recently expressed in the Wall Street Journal editorial, “A Doctor’s Declaration of Independence” (login may be required).

In his piece, author Dr. Daniel Craviotto Jr. writes, “In my 23 years as a practicing physician, I’ve learned that the only thing that matters is the doctor-patient relationship … We strive to do our best even while we sometimes contend with unrealistic expectations …  We do the things we do because it is right and our patients expect us to. So when do we say damn the mandates and requirements from bureaucrats who are not in the healing profession?”

How are you handling the new mandates of health care reform while also attending to the very real needs of your (trusting and often dependent) patients? We’re betting this WSJ editorial is something a lot of practicing physicians can relate to.