And yet another really bad idea…. tin star badges for doctors. It’s an intrusion on doctor-patient confidentiality and as I’ve written in the past, I’m firmly opposed to it. That a physicians’ group is the one proposing it is particularly unsettling.
Allison Jones reports:
Ontario’s doctors should be legally required to tell police when they suspect a patient has committed a crime, a new report says.
It’s one of 31 recommendations contained in the report released Wednesday by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario on opioid painkiller abuse.
The report recommends changes in various areas of the health and justice systems and stresses education. Even veterinarians receive more pain management training than physicians, said one of the report authors.
The proposal about reporting to police is aimed at doctors being able to notify authorities when they believe a patient is abusing or dealing opioids such as OxyContin.But the wording of the recommendation suggests a broader application that would require health professionals to disclose personal information to police if there are reasonable grounds to believe any criminal offence has been committed.
Read more in the Winnipeg Free Press.