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Serving up a new debate daily, this is the place where putting up your dukes and defending your opinion is encouraged.

Reply: Doc Won't Treat Patients Over 200 Pounds

A sick morbidly obese patient who passes out at an inopportune moment is a danger to any...

Posted by CAMMSNNP

90 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Doc Won't Treat Patients Over 200 Pounds A sick morbidly obese patient who passes out at an inopportune moment is a danger to any...

Reply: Doc Won't Treat Patients Over 200 Pounds

Perhaps the Hippocratic Oath did not have to consider such, as if one was morbidly obese...

Posted by CAMMSNNP

Perhaps the Hippocratic Oath did not have to consider such, as if one was morbidly obese in that era (5th century BC), and was availed by a doctor, then one must have had wealth and attendants. Without medical treatment, the morbidly obese would succumb to health issues and die early, or be unable to defend themselves from attack and would also die early. For most though, at the time of the Hippocratic Oath coming into formation, it was unlikely that the common man had enough food surplus to become 'super size' in the first place.

Having myself been injured by a 270 lb person, I intend to put similar restrictions in place in who I will choose to see as a provider, but I may take a more practiced approach and invite the obese client to compensate for the cost of having to maintain a lift team available, in the room with us, just in case an emergency happens.

This should appear ridiculous to most, as most exam rooms are not big enough for 4 adults (6 required if over 200 lbs) plus the patient and provider. OSHA states for safe patient handling, this requires one person for each 50 lbs and balanced in partners of two to balance the lifting.

So If I have to hire 6 team members to be available to rescue obese persons at minimum wage or $43.50 per hour (# of persons x $7.25), with the average client visit at $45, shall I effectively lose money on this client, or spread the charge to those not requiring those services? Since America is at 36% Obesity, that is one in three clients who might need these services. So why should the healthy clients subsidize the one who has made a choice to be obese?

Then again, maybe it is time for the medical specialty of 'Obesity' with sub categories of diabetes, musculoskeletal complaints, GI issues, and wound management, as obesity will lead to all these disease conditions eventually, and then succumb to heart disease and renal failure.

Obesity and overeating are diseases and require psychotherapy. The consequence of the obesity is inability to self-manage ones habitus, such that one does not impose upon others unduly without their express permission. Smokers no longer have the right to impose their second hand smoke upon others and this is also considered a disease. Each of these persons chose to take up these activities.

HIV clients got random bad luck of the draw, even if they lived a lifestyle that led into the disease process. However, we are quire adept at reducing the risk of our clients infecting us. By ourselves, we are unable to prevent the excess body weight of the obese from exerting a negative affect on us, other than to remove the potential threat by refusing to interact with such clients.

ps: Obamacare will only work if you force those who are uninsured to become insured to help subsidize those who live an unhealthy lifestyle to bring down the average cost of treating all Americans. A key fact lost on most persons.View Thread

Posted byCAMMSNNP

90 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Doc Won't Treat Patients Over 200 Pounds Perhaps the Hippocratic Oath did not have to consider such, as if one was morbidly obese...

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