Challenges to the Traditional Doctor-patient Relationship

The doctor and patient relationship has traditionally been described as paternalistic in nature. This paternalistic nature arises due to the disparity of knowledge, education and skill between doctor and patient in medical matters. This superior knowledge entitles a patient to repose great trust in the doctor’s decision-making authority over matters concerning the patient’s health. In turn, the doctor is bound by an ethical duty of “beneficence” to exercise his or her authority in the best interests of the patient.

However, the internet has made an impact on this relationship. With a single keystroke, a patient can have access to unprecedented amounts of health information. They are able to find information on any type of illness and disorders, surpassing the doctor’s current state of knowledge. The increase in patients’ expectations and scepticism as to whether the doctor really “knows what’s best” for them questions medical paternalism as the dominant mode for decision-making in healthcare. Today, the principle of patient autonomy and self- determination has emerged as dominant ethos in healthcare. “Patient autonomy” demands that each patient is ideally entitled to determine his or her own health destiny. The driving force behind patient autonomy is the recognition that patients are ultimately responsible and free to make important personal choices in life. As competent individuals, they should be capable of managing their own affairs and pursue their own life goals according to their own values and beliefs. Thus, patients who are better informed are challenging the traditional “paternalistic attitude” of doctors.

Problem arises in cases where the information the patient come across is inaccurate, outdated, wrong or misleading. Thus, the provision of patient education in this electronic era entails difficulties in ensuring that the information remains accurate and current.