Values inform the overall principles of life we all follow. They are the basis of both upbringing and personal experience. Although I am a fierce advocate for certain measures and approaches that benefit the collective health of our communities, I am also a fierce defender of the freedoms you have from making decisions that are not consistent with your values. The irony is apparent in my own background as the son of a pastor and a teacher, professions that advocate for both personal faith and informed education. As a patient within the larger medical community, you serve as your own broker of honesty and forthrightness.
The issue of immunizations is probably the most common bone of contention for health professionals. A strong contingency exists within the medical community against anti-vaxxers, as they are called. These folks often have anecdotal stories they read on the internet (for which the patients rarely have a specific link or reference) but others have real experiences. One family I recently encountered had a grandmother who died of Stephens Johnson syndrome following an influenza vaccine. They predictably refuse the flu vaccine each year.
Other interactions have been from the less informed. A pregnant teenager advised me at one point she had done some research on the internet and didn't want her baby to be exposed to any unnecessary vaccines. This sort of naivete is both frustrating and challenging. As above, my advocacy stems from the Master of Public Health whereas my defense of freedom has its origins from my military service.
The ultimate charge to fellow professionals is to elicit patients' values and correlate them with the important moments and decisions in our practice. Critical decisions regarding end of life, the role of medications, initiation of lifestyle-related decisions such as dialysis or other life-changing issues require both open ears and a caring voice. Your unique self informs these values and we should honor them.
The issue of immunizations is probably the most common bone of contention for health professionals. A strong contingency exists within the medical community against anti-vaxxers, as they are called. These folks often have anecdotal stories they read on the internet (for which the patients rarely have a specific link or reference) but others have real experiences. One family I recently encountered had a grandmother who died of Stephens Johnson syndrome following an influenza vaccine. They predictably refuse the flu vaccine each year.
Other interactions have been from the less informed. A pregnant teenager advised me at one point she had done some research on the internet and didn't want her baby to be exposed to any unnecessary vaccines. This sort of naivete is both frustrating and challenging. As above, my advocacy stems from the Master of Public Health whereas my defense of freedom has its origins from my military service.
The ultimate charge to fellow professionals is to elicit patients' values and correlate them with the important moments and decisions in our practice. Critical decisions regarding end of life, the role of medications, initiation of lifestyle-related decisions such as dialysis or other life-changing issues require both open ears and a caring voice. Your unique self informs these values and we should honor them.
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