TRUST THY DOCTOR

One of the commonest complaints patients have about doctors is that they have become very commercial.  They feel doctors no longer provide any personalized care, and that they are really not interested in the patient, or the emotional trauma which they are going through.  They feel that doctors just look at patients as a source of revenue, and all they want to do is do procedures and tests and treatments in order to extract money from them.  This is a really sad scenario as it creates an obvious rift between the patient and the doctor. It is important that the patient is able to trust that his doctor is doing what is in the patient’s best interests. Otherwise it becomes very hard to move forward.

These days, people have a very cynical view of the medical profession as a whole.  Medical practitioners are also partly to blame for this, because they do not spend enough time to educate their patients about their problems, and what the possible treatment options are available.  This is one of the reasons why patients have very unrealistic expectations from their doctors. Doctors often tend to over promise their patients, and this creates a lot of unhappiness when the treatment does not bring expected results.

Patients also need to understand that just because a doctor charges for his treatment, this does not mean that he is commercial and uncaring.  After all, a doctor does need to earn money and, unless he makes a profit, he’s not going to be able to run a clinic or treat his patients.  However, it is important that there is transparency in the dealing.

Equally importantly, doctors need to understand that the patients are much more than just people with some physical disease. It is not enough to just suggest some tests and prescribe medicines. Doctors need to deal with the patients with compassion and empathy. Just high quality care is not enough. There has to be a caring attitude as well.

A good doctor is the one who is interested in his patient as a person, and not just as a patient who needs to be treated.  Not only is this good for the patient, it’s actually very good for the doctor. Otherwise just prescribing medicines or performing the same procedures can get very monotonous and repetitive.  Every patient is different, because every patient has their own unique story to tell, and this is what makes medical science so interesting and exciting. Doctors need to start looking beyond the lab reports the patients bring with them, and start looking inside their heart and brain. This also helps one to respect his patients, and enjoy what one is doing. Helping patients to get back to health is a great opportunity to do well, and a doctor should make the most of it, for his own sake, and the sake of the patients as well.