A medical provider has specific duties regarding their patient. If they breach any of their obligations, it can have legal repercussions. For example, an action for negligence can be initiated against the doctor if they neglect any of their responsibilities. Every physician’s duty covers their activities and their orders and instructions to the nurses, medical students, the staff, or the company providing them the medical billing services in the USA.
Duty to Diagnose the Patients
The physicians and medical providers have to diagnose the patient appropriately. They have to take proper steps for this reason. They have to make the right diagnosis. They must then provide treatment and follow up on their patients’ progress. The doctor is duty-bound to obtain informed consent from the patient before carrying out diagnostic tests and treatment. The provider should inform the patient about the diagnosis so they can understand it comfortably.
Duty to treat the patients
Doctors have been trained for years to treat patients with different diseases properly. They ought to treat the patients with complete specialization. It is their foremost duty to treat the patients attentively and conscientiously. If they have any doubt regarding the patient’s treatment, they must take the other doctors’ assistance or refer them to another specialist. They must take the following steps to treat the patients well:
- The providers should recommend the right medications.
- The providers should tell the patients about the merits, demerits, risks, and alternatives regarding the treatment or surgery.
- The provider should offer an adequate follow-up to the patient within a reasonable time.
Duty to Respect the Privacy
The doctors have the responsibility of professional secrecy towards their patients. They should always respect the patients’ privacy who come to their clinic. The doctors must keep all the facts about their patients to secure the doctor-patient relationship. Hence, professional secrecy goes to the patient only. The physicians cannot reveal the facts that their patients have told them unless the patients allow it. The doctors can exclusively disclose the information if they have significant and fair reasons to do accordingly. For example, the providers can deliver the information to the medical billing and coding company if needed.
Duty to Provide Information
Physicians must provide their patients with the correct and authentic information to take further steps accordingly. They ought to give complete report to their patients about:
- Diagnosis
- Nature, target, and seriousness of the treatment
- Other treatment choices
They must also answer all the questions of the patients. The duty of information of a physician is towards:
- The patient
- The people who make decisions on behalf of the patient
- The parents of the children under the age of 14
Doctors should keep the condition of their patients in mind and tell them about the risks. It also includes the foreseeable risks, which are more likely to occur. The providers must tell the patient about the adverse effects of the treatment. The duty of providing complete information to the patient extends to the circumstances and the patient in question.