Patient raises cash for bogus disease

Dr Kathryn Leask

Business Dilemmas.

What should a doctor do when a patient is found to be seeking donations for private treatment – for a condition she doesn’t have? Dr Kathryn Leask advises.

Dilemma 

Do I report this plea for funds?

Q I recently carried out a laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy on a post-menopausal patient because there was concern the cyst could be cancerous. 

The patient was extremely fearful about this possibility and decided to pay for private treatment because she wanted to have the procedure quickly. 

Fortunately, the cyst turned out to be benign, but now one of my colleagues has alerted me to a fundraising page set up by the patient to seek donations for ongoing private treatment, which gives the impression that she has ovarian cancer. 

What should I do? 

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