Please answer in one paragraph for each question:
A physician admitted an elderly patient to the hospital, where she was treated for irregular heartbeat and chest pain. The patient was competent to make decisions about a course of treatment, but her opinionated and outspoken daughter repeatedly second-guessed the physician’s recommendations with medical information she had obtained from the internet.
1. In your opinion, what responsibilities, if any, does a physician or other healthcare practitioner have toward difficult family members or other third parties who interfere with a patient’s medical care?
2. What might the physician in this situation have said to her patient’s daughter to help resolve the situation?