The Physician: When people are sick, they often have very littleidea of what is wrong with them or what the most promisingtreatment is. They may place themselves under a physician's care inthe belief that the physician is better qualified to make decisionsregarding the proper course of treatment. The physician acts as anagent for the patient. For many treatments the physician offers theonly access to the treatment; e.g., prescription drugs and surgery.Based on the above information, answer the following questions:
A. Some argue that physicians artificially increase demand forhealthcare services. What factors might control the extent ofphysician-induced demand?
B. What are the legal and ethical implications if a physicianwere to induce demand due to not providing informed consent to thepatient?
C. If surgeons were able to increase the demand for operations,which operations do you think would be most affected? How would youdecide which surgeries were unnecessary? Can you think of examplesfrom your own experience or reading?
