I need to be the sole focus of my exam: Patient privilege

D.J. Listort’s retort:

I resent the guilt trip laced behind the Ethicist’s advice to "find another way to do your fair share for the health-care community of which you are a member and from which you benefit" (in The NY Times Magazine of April 15). Because I do not wish to have residents or interns present during my examination does not mean I haven’t done my fair share by paying my (staggering) medical-insurance premiums or by waiting for what often is an interminable amount of time for my appointment.

I need the precious one-on-one with my doctors so that they and I may have a confidential and attentive session to discuss, diagnose and treat my ills. Why didn’t the doctor provide a form (what’s one more?) at the first appointment to cover a request to have residents present so that the rules, and my preferences, are clear before the examination starts? I’m sorry, but I need to be the sole focus of my exam, and I don’t need to be chided for insisting that I am.

Advice for patients: To guarantee privacy in your exam, discuss it with the receptionist when you arrive for the appointment.

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