Saturday, August 4, 2018

How Did Larry Nassar and Richard Strauss Avoid Discovery? Three Cultural Factors




How did these physicians, who practiced very much in the open atmosphere of sports medicine team doctors, avoid discovery?

There are at least three cultural factors that enabled Nassar and Strauss to continue their terror for about two decades each.

Sports – winning is the only thing!
Whether pre-teen gymnasts or young adult college athletes, the pressure to win, perform and conform were and are intense.
We see now that sports and academic administrators will deny reality in order to protect the program, to protect the brand.

Patients  - do not question your physician!
Physicians are highly educated miracle workers who simply should never be questioned about their examinations, diagnosis, prognosis or treatments.

Phooey. Physicians must do everything they do within “informed consent” parameters, and patients (and surrogates) have rights to be fully informed at a lay person standard. Those who supervise physicians have a duty to enforce informed consent practices and procedures.

Physicians Will Not Rat On Physicians – the Lab Coat Line
Only in extreme cases will physicians rat out other physicians for misconduct or poor quality practice. Mediocrity is just ignored.
Medicine is a statistical aberration, every physician is above average!
But physicians know better, nurses really know better, and executives and administrators know better but will rarely admit as much.


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