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VIDEO: Physicians must balance patient autonomy with expertise in thyroid health
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WASHINGTON — In this video exclusive, Lindsay A. Bischoff, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the division of diabetes, endocrinology and metabolism at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and medical director of the Vanderbilt Thyroid Center, outlines pressing matters in ethics for endocrinologists. Bischoff, who is a member of the American Thyroid Association’s ethics committee, details how endocrinologists can take a more effective approach to their practice.
The primary discussion centers on patient autonomy vs. beneficence, as physicians must work to provide education while respecting patient decisions and preferences about their own treatment. Bischoff further delves into what clinicians should recommend and how to interact with patients to ensure effective treatment, citing examples of patients with benign thyroid nodules and those who may desire radioiodine therapy for low-risk thyroid cancers.