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MMT: Message Medicine on Text - A fallible practice

In the age of digital practice Doctors indulge in practice of doing lots of Community service and Practice management over SMS and texting apps like Whatsapp, IM and all such apps. But have you ever wondered the limitations and obligation in such action? Here is how to put use of such means appropriately: Do consensual messaging: Add another line in your consent. If the patient intends to be contacted for appointments, follow ups, investigations or some promotional offers. This makes you safe while you do not spam. Mindful information: Imagine receiving text, “Your blood sample is reported positive for HIV”. Dropped off your hat!! Never do the mistake of passing on critical information over text message. Do not make the patient panic. Just put a request of seeing the doctor on priority. Medical Record: Make note of content of SMS sent (Date, time and details) on patient's record/prescription with the need of such  communication. P.S. such communication or
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Duty of Doctor to attend Court of Law

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A Doctor’s life is no easy. Treating patients, pacifying attendants, co-ordinating with colleagues, handling life and death situations, gathering resources in Emergency room, filling case sheets, forms, doing Police intimations and so on. The story does not end here, receiving summons from the court and making appearances in the court adds to his worry even more. There is hardly any doctor who has not received summons for appearing in the court to testify an evidence or to be an expert witness. Leaving your work, patients and spending entire day in the court room, handling typical courtroom questions is really a difficult situation to face. After all who likes being questioned, cross questioned and treated like an accused? With no training to answer the interrogations in highly formalized legal language, where framing changes the entire meaning, and prosecution and cross witness tries to put words in mouth to draw favor, it feels persecution. And what if you have changed the job
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Terminating relationship with patients

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No Doctor ever wants to break relationship with his patient. But with recent incidents showing up in the society, we decided to discuss it with experienced doctors and understand their psyche for the new chapter unfolding. For a Doctor terminating patient care is not an easy pick, unless warranted by the disease or a compelling situation. As they say it is sometimes necessary to relook the relationship rather than making it bitter. Patient care always has professional, ethical and legal obligation. Maintaining partnership and handling complaints simultaneously is never easy. Calling it a game does not give free way to run from the situation. If patient care is effected abruptly, not communicated and documented properly it may become difficult to defend it at a later stage.   “Only shoe wearer knows where the shoe pinches.” The situations for doctors are never easy. They bond very hard with their patients and often sometimes close enough. May be the level of expectation goe
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