Listening and talking to patients is one detail that physicians, residents, interns, nurses and everyone involved in health care should start taking to heart. Surveys all over have revealed patients’ lack of satisfaction with the interpersonal skills of healthcare practitioners. When the patient is a ‘chronic case’, a ‘juvenile diabetes’, a ‘muscular dystrophy in room 205’ instead of a person with a name, with a private history, with a personal narrative,
communication skills are not necessary. When the illness is added to the person instead of taking over the individual, then, communication skills become paramount. So? So perhaps it all boils down to a matter of perception. How do we perceive the patients with ‘juvenile diabetes’ or ‘muscular dystrophy in room 205’?
We were having dinner yesterday night, my friends and, very nice restaurant and very good food. But dinner was ruined by the stories of physicians who tarnished their professions by the lack of their communication or humane skills. Why would a doctor tell a man not to bother spending much money treating his mother because she is old and will inevitably die soon? This was a message delivered during a clinical encounter. His mother is not suffering from any terminal illness (which would not have justified the declaration either).
Then another one added: My doctor does not bother to greet me when I come in; his arrogance is one that leaves a lot to be desired. If I can g to another physician I would. But I am stuck. She hates having to see that physician who exemplifies the characteristics of condescension. Then came the closure: a unanimous agreement that physicians these days do not bother to spend more than a few minutes with the patient whom they treat as an illness to undo. Adieu the good old days!
In my opinion, something is wrong in the system. Medicine is a moral enterprise and the most humane of the sciences. Many physicians still live up to that ideal. If others are not, there must be something that can be done about it. Part of the responsibility lies on the patients themselves. They should know their rights and not allow healthcare workers to treat them as illnesses or numbers. Patients should demand explanations and time. Until this is done, there will always be physicians who will discredit the profession.
We were having dinner yesterday night, my friends and, very nice restaurant and very good food. But dinner was ruined by the stories of physicians who tarnished their professions by the lack of their communication or humane skills. Why would a doctor tell a man not to bother spending much money treating his mother because she is old and will inevitably die soon? This was a message delivered during a clinical encounter. His mother is not suffering from any terminal illness (which would not have justified the declaration either).
Then another one added: My doctor does not bother to greet me when I come in; his arrogance is one that leaves a lot to be desired. If I can g to another physician I would. But I am stuck. She hates having to see that physician who exemplifies the characteristics of condescension. Then came the closure: a unanimous agreement that physicians these days do not bother to spend more than a few minutes with the patient whom they treat as an illness to undo. Adieu the good old days!
In my opinion, something is wrong in the system. Medicine is a moral enterprise and the most humane of the sciences. Many physicians still live up to that ideal. If others are not, there must be something that can be done about it. Part of the responsibility lies on the patients themselves. They should know their rights and not allow healthcare workers to treat them as illnesses or numbers. Patients should demand explanations and time. Until this is done, there will always be physicians who will discredit the profession.
Painting above of Egyptian Physician by H.M Herget
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Glad you posted this. It happend to me as well. My doctor told me I have an illness and said I must undergo surgery. When I told him that I heard and read of a possiblity of medical treatment, instead of explaining to me, he looked at me "min fawk" and said mockingly: "where did you get your medical degree from?".
ReplyDeleteSuch doctors need training in human relations!
المريض بحاجة الى الطبيب. لذلك لا يقدر على مواجهته في معظم الأحيان. أنا أتوقع أن يكون طبيبي أخلاقيا و مراعيا لمشاعري. هنالك صراع قوى لا يوقفه الا الضمير
ReplyDeleteYes, patients should ask more questions and more explanations but are you aware of how
ReplyDeletemany patients get answers like:" do not worry about these details, just take the
medications and do these tests". Some doctors act like we have simple mind. They do not
want us to ask. They have many patients waiting outside. They want to see as much
patients as they can. This way the doctor can have more money. We get answers, but quick
answers. I have "karha" (I think it is called ulcer) and other problems. My doctor when I
visit him hardly looks at me. He is always on the phone and writing. He takes telephone
calls about his car. When he told me I needed surgery, he interrupted the news talking to
his house about the menu! What can we do? It is not always our mistake. Doctors need to
be teaches these things also. Sorry for my english, I am french educated.
In addition to the fact that physicians do not spend enough time with their patients, what worries me is that they do not direct the literate patients (or patients’ families) to the reliable Internet health sites that are specifically written in a language that patients can easily understand. Nowadays patients Google for health topics and many are mislead by unreliable sites that can be quite harmful. So it is the responsibility of physicians to be aware of this fact, to recommend reliable health sites (such as MedlinePlus.gov ) and to encourage patients to read these websites carefully. At least this can compensate for the insufficient time that physicians spend with their patients, to explain to them their medical/health situation and to provide tips on what to do or not to do!!!
ReplyDeleteI believe that an “informed patient is a better patient” and “health is a responsibility of both the patient and the health-care provider”. They both have to work together to achieve the best health for all.