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LIMITS ON THE UTILIZATION OF ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES BY DOCTORS IN NEW ZEALAND: A PROBLEM OF BOUNDARY MAINTENANCE
Author(s) -
Dew Kevin
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
australian journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1839-4655
pISSN - 0157-6321
DOI - 10.1002/j.1839-4655.1997.tb01061.x
Subject(s) - project commissioning , scope (computer science) , autonomy , limiting , boundary (topology) , publishing , medical treatment , medical profession , health maintenance , public relations , health care , medicine , engineering ethics , law , family medicine , political science , engineering , computer science , mathematics , mechanical engineering , mathematical analysis , programming language
This paper uses two case studies to examine the scope for medical practitioners to utilize alternative forms of diagnosis and treatment. The first is a specific study of a medical practitioner who was deemed to have transgressed the boundaries of orthodox medicine. The second is a general case study which examines the possible effects of a new medical practitioners bill and the New Zealand health reforms. It is suggested that when the medical profession is faced with external threats it attempts to strengthen itself at the cost of limiting the autonomy of its membership.