Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08

One proposal, to Whlch SeVeral OF the
leading physicians in Washington prac-
tically have committed themselves, is
for the establishment of diagnosttc
/ leading specialists, which would give
thorough physical examinations to pa
tients referred to 1t by general practl..
| TONERS at q minimum charge based
upon costs. This plan already has been
| presented in The Star in an effort to
determine the public reaction.
Problem L. Involved.
But the entire problem is so involved
and deals with such delicate relation
! ships that there Is no complete agree
ment as yet among the committee MEM
bers as to the best course to follow.
| Some hold that such diagnostic
| clinic would be at best temporary ex-
pedient, although possibly necessary
one, and that it is necessary to go far
! deeper to get at the underlying DIM
| culties.
The American public, according to
one physician. Is passing through
stage of belief in specialization that
| some ways to the detriment Of medical
practice. 1t has reached point
where many people diagnose their own
| ailments and then 60 to specialist tn
confirm their diagnosis"
The economic adjustment between
physician and public must come.
some physicians maintain. even
tually through the return to the family
physician and the creation through
| education of type Of general pracu-
| toner not only we'll trained in medicine
and its specialties, psychology and psy-
chiatry particularly included, but broad
lv educated in the vast domain OF hui
man biology. capable of understanding
the social and economic problems OF
the members of his community. Sucl
a one will conduct his practice accord :
| ing to the highest standards OF medical
ethics and with q priestly devotion TO
the people who commit themselves TO
his care. The entire history OF the
! medical profession. it is pointed out, has
shown that the physicians OF this type
are the natural result of correct medical
education and ideals The relation be-
tween them and their patients Is quite
different from the business relationship
which tends to develop between the
| specialist of a certain type and his CHI
ertele. But the specialist "supersti-
| ton" on the part of the public, together
with the necessity of the individual
| physician to make an economic ADJUST
| nent in a society which measures sue
ter type of general practitioner.
Real Need Is Suggested.
THE specialist" said this physician,
J rs giving the public what 1t wants and
I Is willing to pay for. The public has
become specialist minded through wide
spread publicity. accounts of miracu--
| lous specialist cures, etc. but the real
need to solve its medical and economic
problem is for the public to become
| 'general-practitioner' minded" in the
! sense above described.
The diagnostic clinic plan. said this
member of the committee. who voices a
| considerable body of medical sentiment,
/, considered on a philosophical basis,
| might represent a dangerous interior
ence with the traditional relations OF
physician and patient, which have re-
/ manned practically unchanged through
! the changing social conditions since the
| time of Hippocrates, whose oath still Is
| the accepted standard Of medical
! ethics. This proves, he says, that 1t Is
based on something quite fundamental
In human relations. 1t Is, he feels.
! contrary to the practice OF applying
mass production ideas to medical dag
nosis, such as is implied in the creation
of the proposed diagnostic clinic.
Whether q group OF specialists rune
tioning in this manner represents an
adequate type of medical diagnosis is
| open to serious doubt. They devote
themselves primarily to different organs
or regions without sufficiently consid-
erine the human individual as whole
and. largely committed to the organic
basis of physical ailments, too often
neglect the equally important functional
side. with the result that many false