Editorial

Broadening the Use of “Doctor” in the Clinical Setting: A Danger to Patient Decision Making and Informed Consent

Authors: Forrest Bohler, BS

Abstract

In a recent article in The Washington Post, a California nurse practitioner (NP), Jacqueline Palmer, shared her opinions on why she is suing the state for their restrictive regulation around the use of the term “Doctor.”1 The California law coming under scrutiny, California Business and Professions Code Section 2054, is part of California’s Medical Practice Act, which was enacted in 1931. Under the current statute, “Any person who uses in any sign, business card, or letterhead, or, in an advertisement . . . the letters or prefix Dr. . . . without having at the time of so doing a valid, unrevoked, and unsuspended certificate as a physician and surgeon under this chapter, is guilty of a misdemeanor.”

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References

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