Clin Med
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Patient choice is becoming the centre of health policy in the UK and other countries. But there is ambiguity about what choice means. As the term is used in everyday life, choice is the foundation of the doctrine of patient consent. ⋯ But consumerism in healthcare is incompatible with a publicly funded service. Moreover, consumerism changes the locus of responsibility from the doctor to the consumer (the patient). The doctor will cease to have the values of a professional and will become simply an agent of the patient's demands.
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A survey of 70 junior doctors was conducted in 2006 to analyse their attitudes to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). All had advanced life support training, yet 73% found CPR stressful. Major causes of stress included poor outcome and inappropriate CPR. ⋯ Most junior doctors found discussing CPR with patients/relatives difficult. CPR-related stress may be minimised by creating awareness of the procedure's poor outcome, by ensuring that seniors document CPR status where relevant, and by encouraging junior doctors to undergo debriefing and six-monthly training/updates. Stress arising from discussing CPR with patients/relatives may be minimised by training organised by the employing trust and by increasing patients' understanding of CPR through information leaflets.