World Medical Assembly: doctor-patient relationship and pseudotherapies



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The representatives of the assembly stand at the moment of the approval of the declaration / EFE / CGCOM

First a report physician-patient increasingly “distant”, Assembly members seek to “achieve what is most appropriate for patients based on scientific evidence, improving their mental and physical health and well-being, and relieving pain,” details the General Council of Official Medical Associations (CGCOM), which was in charge of organizing this world event.

It represents a huge support for this project, initiated by the Spanish medical profession so that the doctor-patient relationship is considered Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO“, Explains Dr. Serafín Romero, president of CGCOM.

For this doctor, “there is a break in the relationship that has a lot to do with empathy and non-verbal language”.

We must avoid the loss of humanization -Insert- and try to make this relationship last, despite technological advances, which come to the aid, not to replace“.

Growing trends for …

Currently, the professionals assure, the doctor-patient relationship is constantly threatened by influences, both internal and external to health systems.

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The declaration aims to strengthen and protect the relationship between doctor and patient / EFE // EPA / CHRISTOPHE PETIT

They explain that, in some countries and health systems, these influences run the risk of alienating doctors from their patients and can harm them.

The CGCOM shows a growing trend towards the “technologization” of medicine, which, at times, leads to a mechanistic vision of medical assistance.

In addition, experts point to a weakening of relationships of trust between people, “which negatively affects health relationships”. In addition to a primary focus on the economy.

For this reason, the association states that “the relationship between doctors and patients must never be subject to administrative, economic or political interference”.

Doctor-patient recommendations

According to CGCOM, reiterating its Geneva Declaration, the International Code of Medical Ethics and the Lisbon Declaration on Patients’ Rights, the WMA and its constituent members:

  • They reaffirm that professional autonomy and clinical independence are essential components of high quality medical care and medical professionalism, safeguarding patients’ right to receive the medical care they need.
  • They urge all agents involved in the doctor-patient relationship to defend, protect and strengthen this relationship, based on high quality care, as a scientific, health, cultural and social heritage.
  • They ask constituent members and physicians to defend this model of relationship as the fundamental core of any person-centered medical act.
  • They also ask that these members and doctors uphold the medical profession and its ethical values, including compassion, competence, mutual respect and professional autonomy.
  • They reaffirm their opposition to the interference of the government, other institutional agents and administrations in the practice of medicine and in the doctor-patient relationship.
  • They reaffirm their dedication to providing competent medical service with full professional and moral independence, with compassion and respect for human dignity.
  • They are committed to addressing emerging factors that could pose a threat to the doctor-patient relationship and to take measures to mitigate those factors.

Side effects of pseudo-practices

The “Declaration of Córdoba” was not the only one approved during the World Medical Assembly. Experts found it necessary to approve another one to regulate and raise public awareness of pseudo-therapies and pseudosciences.

Some techniques, CGCOM explain, which at first seemed harmless, but which, now, can even cause death.

Experts point out that the practice of these “false” techniques can lead the patient to abandon medical care, have psychological trauma, economic damage or a dangerous delay and loss of opportunity in the application of drugs, among other effects.

Dr Jerónimo Fernández Torrente, coordinator of the WTO Observatory Against Pseudosciences, Pseudotherapies, Intrusiveness and Health Cults, is the promoter of this Declaration, which urges health professionals to take legal action and report these practices.

Recommendations for pseudotherapies

Pseudosciences and pseudotherapies, according to the members of the assembly, constitute a complex system of theories, presuppositions, statements and methods erroneously considered scientific.

And while some are accepted by the scientific community and provide benefits to traditional medical therapy, experts explain that without proper regulation they can be dangerous and unethical.

Therefore, the AMM makes the following recommendations:

  • Adequate and rigorous regulation in accordance with best practices is needed to address the risks and reduce the potential harm that pseudo-therapies and pseudosciences can cause.
  • Pseudo-therapies and pseudosciences should not be considered medical specialties recognized by the scientific community or legally approved with a master’s or subspecialty degree in pseudosciences.
  • All acts of professional intrusion, pseudo-therapy and pseudo-science activities that put the public health of the population at risk must be reported to the competent authorities.
  • The role of the general and specialized media for transparency and truthfulness in raising the scientific awareness of the critical public is essential.
  • Physicians must continue to practice medicine as a service based on the application of current critical scientific knowledge, technical skills and ethical behavior.
  • Physicians must keep their skills up to date with advances in their professional field.
  • The patient must be duly informed at all times about the therapeutic options available, their efficacy and risks, and be able to participate in deciding which treatments are best.
  • Physicians should be trained to identify pseudoscience / pseudo therapies, logic errors and cognitive biases and advise their patients accordingly.
  • Physicians should be aware that some patient groups are particularly vulnerable to the risks associated with the use of pseudotherapies.
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