BUT I PROMISED! A CONVERSATION ABOUT MY PROFESSIONAL OATH AND RESPONSIBILITY.

The Indiana Dental Association's Journal, Fall 2011 "Ethics" issue has arrived and I wish to commend all of the authors on their submissions. The contributors include our Executive Director Doug Bush, President Terry Schechner DDS, Assistant Executive Director Jay Dziwilik and Director of Professional Services Ed Rosenbaum, among others. The articles, prepared with brevity, discuss the responsibilities and dilemmas today's dentists encounter in their daily practice. Mr. Dziwlik's "But You Promised: A conversation about your professional oath and responsibility" caused me to reflect upon my Peer Review experience. Ethicky is a term I've coined to describe the event and I have a few thoughts to share with the IDA Officers,  IDA Trustees, IDA Central Office and most importantly my colleagues. 

I Made a Promise...The Oath For Dentistry is a pledge to 'faithfully observe the principles of ethics for the profession.' I pledged to be no less ethical with my colleagues than with my patients, staff or vendors. In previous posts I discussed how the IDDS and the IDA failed to follow our association's bylaws regarding the administration of a ethics complaint filed per the prescribed procedures set forth in our bylaws.

I Made a Promise...To accept responsibility and pledged that I would lend my influence and support to organized dentistry. Over the past 4 years, I've challenged the leadership of the IDA to follow our bylaws, but to no avail.

I Made a Promise...To remember human limitation and accept that we are not perfect. It has been years since the IDA and the ADA were notified of a violation of our bylaws. We all make mistakes and commit errors of judgement, but when bylaw violations are brought to the attention of those in the position to take corrective action and the bylaw violations are ignored, that is cause for concern.

I Made a Promise...To faithfully observe the Principles of Ethics. I promised to observe the concept of Justice. The Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct, Justifiance Section 4.C and Advisory Opinion 4.C.1, are not elective.

Luke 4:23: Physician, Heal Thyself..."Suppose that a man should attempt to heal another when he was himself diseased in the same manner, it would be natural to ask him to first cure himself, and thus to render it manifest that he was worthy of confidence".

The irony of it all. The Indiana Dental Association and The American Dental Association, two organizations that define, enforce and are the defacto face of our professional ethics can not themselves be held accountable to the same standards of ethics? This is shameful.   


Again I ask, Who Is Reviewing Peer Review? (1.21.2011) Ed Rosenbaum cites a 10 year average Indiana Peer Review case resolution rate of 35 % dentists favor verses 65 % patient favor. But in 2007, Full Panel resolutions favored the patient in 92% of the cases! How about Texas and Georgia favoring the patient 100% in a recent year while New Hampshire, Idaho and South Dakota favored the dentist 100%? How logical is this? I maintain this is an indication that peer review as it presently is conducted is biased. And if this isn't a clear case of bias...What would be?