2009-The Physician of the Future English and Catalan

F UNDACIÓN E DUCACIÓN M ÉDICA (FEM) 62 2.5. A physician making good decisions for the patient and the health care system In a context of limited resources and overcoming the old saying you can’t put a price on health” , the physician must be the agent that prioritises the allocation of available health resources, avoiding referring to patients unnecessarily or ordering unjusti"able complementary tests or therapeutic measures. $ephysicianhas thedual responsibilityof assuringthatpatientsreceive care according to their needs and, at the same time, proper allocation of the scarce resources made available to him. $e physician has to play the role of patient trustee as his highest priority, but meanwhile, as an employee, he must also follow the employer’s cost-containment policies. When the two roles enter in con&ict physicians must act wisely, with a cautious and sensitive approach to reconciling the con&ict of interests between bene"ts for patients and stringencies in the system, seeking support from professional associations while cooperating with patient’s associations.