On a recent episode of PeerPOV: The Pulse on Medicine, Physician’s Weekly editorial board member Alex McDonald, MD, FAAFP, interviewed pediatrician Shannon Udovic-Constant, MD, about the ethical considerations of treating physician colleagues and their children.
What do you do when a colleague wants to have their child cared for by you?
Dr. Udovic-Constant: If they just end up on my schedule, I’ll do the visit as I usually would. I’m going to approach decision making in the same way that I usually would, recognizing we can get there a little faster because of their medical knowledge.
If someone approaches me in advance and asks me if I’ll take them on in my practice, I will have a conversation about ground rules. This includes things like: I want you to use me for orders and prescribing. I will provide some courtesy to you in that access to me that is going to be a little easier, and you can bypass some of the harder ways to get to me. I’m also not going to deviate from standard of care. If it’s best for us to do something in person or it’s outside of my comfort, I am going to say no. As long as you’re comfortable with those parameters, I’d love to care for your child.
I’ve cared for some of my colleagues, and it’s felt rushed. We jump to whatever they want rather than going through the process. Does that ever happen to you?
If it’s an incredibly straightforward question, I’m happy to provide information. If I need some more context and we don’t have the time, I’ll ask my staff to reach out. People appreciate that and recognize they don’t want to cut corners.
I often tell my doctor parents that I want them to call me on a weekend or an evening (within parameters; I’m not going to answer the phone after 10 at night and generally not before 6:30 in the morning). Doctor family members will either pretend it’s not as serious as it is or go to this deep, dark, scary place, thinking it’s the worst thing ever. Then they’re at home worrying about something. I like them to use me in those two scenarios. Let’s level set and get to the right place.
