THE PHYSICIAN'S CHILDREN AS PATIENTS

Abstract

THE LACK OF ATTENTION—in the medical literature—to the care of physicians' families is in sharp contrast to the degree of concern and controversy about this subject. Medical writers may have hesitated, as have the present authors, to report their observations, because of uneasiness about revealing confidential material or their fear that they would seem critical of their colleagues. Because the authors' experience with physicians' children as patients has convinced them that the management of illness and the fostering of health in the families of physicians present very special problems, this report is presented. The authors have reviewed their experiences with more than 100 physicians' families in preparation for this report. They found deplorable gaps and variations in their records. These difficulties highlight some of the unusual features of medical care for physicians' families. Physicians move frequently while they are in medical school, residency training, fellowships, and military service. There is a great variation among physicians' families in the use they make of their pediatrician and in the frequency of their visits. Some records are distressingly abbreviated because so much of the medical discussion has taken place in corridor consultations. In this paper names and personal details have been changed to preserve the anonymity of the subjects. The examples come from different cities, states, and countries. THE PHYSICIAN-FATHER'S ANXIETIES Every physician, no matter what his training and practice, has accumulated a storehouse of anxieties about disease. These often make minor illnesses take on major significance. The pediatrician must always keep in mind that the physician consulting him about a family health problem may well have many more serious concerns and a higher degree of anxiety than other parents, no matter how well he covers this with jokes.