The term ‘to manage patients’ is often used by GPs: it jars on some patients as it seems to regard them as passive objects rather than autonomous beings. Presumably, the term does not offend most doctors; but it fails to do justice to those who seek to work in partnerships of mutual respect and understanding with patients. Should it now be dropped as inadvertently out of keeping with the specialty's and patients' aspirations?
- © British Journal of General Practice, 2004.