DOCTOR & PATIENT RELATIONSHIP

DOCTOR & PATIENT RELATIONSHIP

The doctor

The doctor needs to pay full attention towards patient’s symptoms, his story and above all his anguish and sufferings.

Listening to the patient is very important even if the diagnosis is written on his face. This is one of the failings which a doctor should avoid as this would leave the patient dissatisfied. After his clinical examination and required investigations, the doctor should spend time in analysing his problems and come to a tentative of definite diagnosis depending upon the situation.

Maintenance of patient’s confidentiality is absolutely essential and should never be breached except in a court of law.

Maintaining of a good record is very good both for the doctor and the patient perhaps even more for the doctor. This often is the saving grace for a doctor under some kind of blame.

Patient should be offered choice and alternative not in a superficial manner but in a very formal manner so that the patient has the feeling of participation in the decision making. This will to some extent depend upon the patient’s intellectual capacity and social background.

Refer the patient to a colleague in time and doctor should never sit on prestige or hold on the patient longer than required. In an institute particularly this is of great help in handling a complex problem or a VIP patient.

In my personal experience even if something has gone wrong, taking the patient into confidence would help in most of the circumstances unless there is an ulterior motive.

Whereas the patient or the family need to be informed about the nature of the disease which is not always optimistic or hopeful, but it need not be traumatic. Somebody has said, "The truth may be brutal but the telling of it need not be".

The consent taken for any procedure should not be a mere formality but should be explained to the patient fully in his own language and his own level.

Doctor should not be judgemental about patient’s personal habits or attitudes.

The patient:

Should choose his doctor or the hospital carefully and with awareness. Having done this, full trust and faith should be reposed in the doctor.

Should provide full information about the illness and all the relevant social and family background.

Should not hesitate to ask as much information as he wants and clarify the instructions without any hesitation.

Reports in case of any drug reaction or other adverse happening.

Should understand the risk involved in a procedure or operation.

Should ask the doctor for any alternative or choice available. This is his right.

Should know that medical science is a biological science and lot of decisions are made on the basis of experience and personal judgement. Many things cannot be fully explained or predicted.

Avoid shopping around with multiple doctors and alternative systems.

Avoid believing in heresay, rumours and not readily believe the facts printed in non-professional publications.

Carefully read the consent for any procedure, try to understand its implications and ask for clarifications, it required.

Should differentiate between a complication or mishap and negligence and not blame the doctor for every thing that goes wrong.

However, any member of dos and don’ts cannot fully describe the doctor-patient relationship, which is ultimately defined by trust, compassion, empathy and goodwill. A doctor should not look at his patient as a bundle of complaints.  In India a doctor feel humiliated when questioned by patient or his attendants. A patient should look at his doctor with trust and hope but should understand the limitations both of the doctor as well as medical science. As a doctor has no time to listen a patient for his problem.