Social issues strain medical practice relationships

Today, it's growing increasingly common for physicians to integrate their beliefs on socio-medical issues such as access to abortion and contraception into their practice. This can lead to conflicts with other doctors who don't share their views, and potentially, put major stress on the practice as a whole. To avoid these stresses, it's important to begin at the hiring stage, with physician executives spelling out their vision and philosophy on key medical issues to candidates. If the group's mission isn't clear enough to spell out where it stands on ethical issues, this is a good time to sharpen its focus. Once the physician is a part of the group, practices should require him or her to air any moral objections to standard procedures or services up front, rather than at the time of care. That way, the objecting doctor can decide whether they want to provide the care, leave the practice or compromise in some form, says Sara Holt, Ph.D, chair of the ethics committee of the Medical Group Management Association and an administrator at the Cape Girardeau Surgical Clinic in Missouri.

Learn more about resolving group practice conflicts:
- read this item in the Acadiana Medical News

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