Dr. Jordan Atkinson was treating patients with hemorrhoids at the time.
A Vancouver naturopathic doctor has been suspended and fined after a patient accused him of failing to detect a rectal tumor while treating her hemorrhoids over a four-month period.
Dr. Jordan Atkinson entered into a consent order with the British Columbia Naturopathic Physicians Association on Nov. 18 after investigating the patient’s complaint.
According to the patients, they saw Dr. Atkinson several times over a four-month period for treatment of hemorrhoids, but were not informed that they had a rectal tumor until they were seen by another medical professional. The patients claim that Dr. Atkinson did not conduct an adequate examination and therefore failed to detect the tumor.
Atkinson disputed this during a regulatory investigation but admitted he had not recorded all his findings in patients’ medical records, and the college’s investigation committee found this did not meet the standards of practice expected of naturopathic doctors.
Atkinson agreed to a 16-day suspension and a $5,000 fine, and also pledged to take appropriate educational courses and to make greater efforts to communicate treatment plans to patients when there are language barriers.
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