The primary care debate requires defining terms

Any debate requires a careful definition of terms.  How can we converse if our words are vague or misunderstood.  This wonderful paragraph makes the concept clear. “If you wish to converse with me,” said Voltaire, “define your terms.” How many a debate would have been deflated into a paragraph if the disputants had dared to define their terms! This is the alpha and omega of logic, the heart and soul of it, that every important term in serious discourse shall be subjected to the strictest scrutiny and definition. It is difficult, and ruthlessly tests the mind; but once done it is half of any task. Will Durant, The Story of Philosophy (Chapter 2, Aristotle and Greek Science, Part 3, The Foundation of Logic). One of my favorite columnists – Dr. Pauline Chen – recently weighed in on the primary care debate - The Gulf Between Doctors and Nurse Practitioners Analyzing questionnaires completed by almost 1,000 physicians and nurse practitioners, researchers did find that almost all of the doctors and nurses believed that nurse practitioners should be able to practice to the full extent of their training and that their inclusion in primary care would improve the timeliness of and access to care. But the agreement ended there. Nurse practitioners believed that they could lead primary care practices and admit patients to a hospital and that they deserved to earn the same amount as doctors for the same work. The physicians disagreed. Many of the doctors said that t...
Source: DB's Medical Rants - Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Tags: Medical Rants Source Type: blogs