Concern about process

I am greatly concerned with the editorial process at Canadian Family Physician that led to Mr Thoma’s article, “The other side of the speculum,”1 being published in the national, professional journal of a College that purports to represent me.

I refer you to the principles of family medicine the College espouses and seeks to foster in the residents who are training in family medicine. As stated on the College website, “The patient-physician relationship is central to the role of the family physician.” 2 The Reflections piece by Mr Thoma does not display any understanding of the importance of the patient-physician relationship, his position of power as a medical professional, and the inevitable power imbalance between himself and his patient. There needs to be recognition that when he is holding the speculum, the patient’s needs come first.

This failure to carry out a patient-centred approach leads me to question how this piece met editorial standards and was thought to be appropriate for publication in a journal that professes to speak for myself, my colleagues, and my profession.

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