TY - JOUR T1 - A nation of people called patients. JF - Journal of Medical Ethics JO - J Med Ethics SP - 91 LP - 92 DO - 10.1136/jme.17.2.91 VL - 17 IS - 2 AU - W G Pickering Y1 - 1991/06/01 UR - http://jme.bmj.com/content/17/2/91.abstract N2 - The implications of the causal and ubiquitous use, by doctors health-workers and politicians, of the word 'patient' are here discussed. Given that the many implications of this noun do not include health or normality (rather the contrary), it is questionable who, if anyone, profits from its indiscriminate use--and its use, even, at all. ER -