Yet, as the cloistered and collegial world of medicine is exposed to greater outside scrutiny, this is just the tactic physicians appear to be embracing. Public finger-pointing between physicians and other parties in health care is perhaps most visible when it comes to payment mechanisms, but it's evident elsewhere. Managed care organizations' attempts to encourage physicians to follow sound clinical guidelines invite doctors' suspicion and derision. When this defensive posturing is played out publicly, it fosters distrust of the health care system. It also creates an image problem for physicians that ultimately will diminish the profession's influence in health care.
Antibiotic resistance is an excellent case study.
While the subject of antibiotic resistance is narrow, it is increasingly important. Further, poor media relations skills on any given subject may be indicative of how physicians are likely to position themselves in the news media when it comes to other sensitive issues as well. Patient misuse of antibiotics, primarily where patients don't take the full course of medication, is an important factor contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance. So is overprescription. In a common scenario, a parent takes a sick child to a physician.