The patient doctor relationship has historically been a very private one. You choose a doctor who aligns with your views on health, and together you make informed decisions.
This private, dedicated relationship has been crucial to patient survival at times. For instance, in the early days of the AIDS crisis, the official healthcare apparatus responded slowly and indifferently, so doctors on the front lines of the crisis worked independently with the AIDS patient community to come up with immediate workable solutions.
During the COVID crisis, the same thing happened, with some doctors trying Ivermectin and other unapproved treatments, according to the wishes of their patient and their own perception of efficacy. Healthcare authorities didn’t like that independence one bit and in CA they have just done something about it. A new law, AB 2098, forbids doctors from saying anything to patients regarding COVID other than the approved message. Reason produced this video explaining what’s at stake, and how this inserts politics into the doctor patient relationship.