Third Biggest Myth in Medicine

Shockingly ignorant

This myth ranks as the 3rd biggest medical myth because of how shockingly ignorant it is. A patient who has been intentionally injured can go from doctor to doctor looking for treatment for the injuries, but when asked “How did you get injured,” upon being told receive the response, “A caregiver would have no reason to harm a patient.” End of story. No help for you.

It does no good to recite how many books there are in the library about serial killers in medicine, or serial sex abusers. Have they never heard of injurious procedures done to make money, or normal everyday lust, avarice, jealousy, prejudice, frustration, boredom, monotony, road rage, etc? Do health care professionals believe that all caregivers are descended from heaven or what, to believe one never would have reason to harm a patient? The patient might as well be telling the caregiver that the caregiver’s religion is bullshit. The response could be no more deep and resolute and self-servingly ignorant.

If the refusal is not spoken out loud (usually it isn’t), there still will be no record made of the patient’s injuries or how the patient got them. The additional injury caused by the unanimous refusal to help intentionally injured patients is not recorded in any chart. Neither is there any accounting of how enabling this is for those in medicine who intentionally injure patients.

The gap between belief and reality in medicine elevates “A caregiver would have no reason to harm a patient” to the position of Third Biggest Myth in medicine.

See “Top Ten Medical Myths.”