Dr. Oz is a cardiothoracic surgeon who has appeared on Oprah many times and now has his own TV show. He is coined the nickname "America's Doctor" and has about 4 million daily followers. He has famous guests and political figures commonly on his show.
Dr. Oz has endorsed many weight loss products and methods including diet changes on his show. However, half of his claims are unsupported or contradicted by research. 10 doctors wrote to Columbia University calling for Dr. Oz to be stripped of his title of Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery because they believe his claims have gone so far as to cause harm to patients. They had the support of 1,000 other doctors via a doctor social networking site. He also has been sued numerous times for his false claims.
Dr. Oz violates the biomedical ethical value of justice by endorsing products for financial gain. He takes advantage of the public by using their trust in him as a medical professional for his personal gain. This leaves patients questioning all doctors' integrity.
Tilburt, J. C., Allyse, M., & Hafferty, F. W. (2017a). The Case of Dr. Oz: Ethics, Evidence, and Does Professional Self-Regulation Work? AMA Journal of Ethics, 19(2), 199–206. https://doi.org/10.1001/journalofethics.2017.19.2.msoc1-1702.
Tilburt, J. C., Allyse, M., & Hafferty, F. W. (2017b). The Case of Dr. Oz: Ethics, Evidence, and Does Professional Self-Regulation Work? AMA Journal of Ethics, 19(2), 199–206. https://doi.org/10.1001/journalofethics.2017.19.2.msoc1-1702.
I truly enjoy this post, because we see it all the time where doctors step aside from their real jobs, and try to solve public health problems by promoting products that people will trust just because someone is a "doctor". It is interesting that he still has his license because I have read that he has broken the Hippocratic Oath multiple times. But I guess if he has enough money he can pay his way through it.
ReplyDeleteI understand the purpose of Dr. Oz's show it to help promote healthier lifestyles, such as new medications, new techniques for changing your health and many other methods, but to know that he is not checking his data against others or seeming to not do enough research into the products he promotes is unacceptable. As a doctor it is the whole job to make sure what is being prescribed/preformed on the patient is the best for them, and will be beneficial. It is also imperative that information given--especially on a public show like he has aired to millions--is accurate and supported by other studies.
ReplyDeleteIf his claims contradict research and ends up causing harm to people who follow his advice, it should be treated the same as breaking the Hippocratic Oath in a setting you find most doctors and even to the point of malpractice. I agree with those 10 doctors; he shouldn't be able to keep his title and even his license, because not only is it hurting the people who follow his false claims and get hurt, but also the credibility of other doctors since he's in the public eye--no matter how much money he has.
Dr. Oz has a very extensive fan base, consisting of mostly the naïve, gullible and under informed, so when he goes on his show and raves about a certain “weight loss products,” those products fly off of shelves. Because why would people second guess a healthcare professional, not that he could be deemed that by any stretch of the means but if it were me, and a doctor recommended something to help me with my problems I wouldn’t second guess it. I have to agree with the 10 doctors that are trying to get him stripped of his chair position. The Oz show is just another way of promoting Instagram crazed products; do they work? Probably not, but since celebrities are endorsing them and “using” them then it must work. Dr. Oz is not a doctor he may have been one, but over the years I think he’s become more of a celebrity playing doctor than an actual practicing physician. We all know horoscropes and astrology and all that jazz, but Dr. Oz, has stated on his website “For centuries, we have used astrological signs to examine our personality and how we interact with those around us. . . your astrological sign can help pinpoint distinct regions where you might experience health problems.” Is this a joke? You ask, I assure you it’s not I’ll add a link to his direct website on this particular topic. He’s an insult to practicing health physicians and what medicine is stood for.
ReplyDeleteWebsite to your astrological needs about your health according to Oz: https://www.doctoroz.com/gallery/what-your-astrological-sign-can-tell-you-about-your-health