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Respect Thy Patients
Have you ever gone to your doctor's office and not felt any anxiety whatsoever?
I think few people can confidently answer 'Yes' to that question. If it's not our concern that our physician may discover some illness or problem, it's our wish not to know what something is when we find a lump or get dizzy or feel sluggish. We'd rather not know, we tell ourselves, because it might mean we have a dreadful illness. The fear not only keeps us from getting medical check-ups and regular dental care, it keeps us in a state of constant apprehension, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
What might contribute to this fear of going to our doctor's office? It might be a bad experience with a healthcare professional, painful treatments, or something bordering on disrespect. But all of this is going to be the old medical model. Patients have been letting healthcare professionals know that they are no longer patients they're 'customers', and they want different treatment. In fact, I saw an article devoted to just that subject in a major New York City newspaper.
While I've heard some professionals reminisce about the 'good old days,' I also know that medical schools and residency programs have done some major retooling. I had an opportunity to teach second-year med students how to interview patients in a hospital. The first thing I told them was that you have to introduce yourself and ask how the patient would like to be addressed.
I find it rude and unacceptable when an elderly woman or man is treated like a department store mannequin and addressed by their first name. I wasn't raised that way, and it's not something I've ever done. I know that I am here, safe and secure in my home, because the elderly of this world worked long hours in dreadful conditions just so I could reap the benefits. I will never forget them for their contributions to the world in which we live.
One of my fondest memories is of an elderly man I met one day while consulting at a nursing home. He was at the end of the hall in the last room, and he was all alone. The nurses thought he could use someone to talk to and I obliged.
I only got to meet him twice because he was gravely ill, and he was a delight. I sat listening as he told me how he had been a coachman and how they heated the coach with a pan filled with hot coals in the winter. I would have loved to have heard more.
Other residents would tell me of their memories of childhood in Europe or the streets of New York or the film sets of New Jersey. Each of them gave me something and for that, also, I am grateful. Too often it is the illness and not the person that has been treated, and we need to get back to remembering that whether 'patients' or 'customers,' each person is an individual who deserves our caring and our respect.
Related Topics: Seniors: Longer Lives, Better Health, 7 Key Traits of the Ideal Doctor
Technorati Tags: patientrespect, medicalcheckups, doctorsofficeanxiety
I think few people can confidently answer 'Yes' to that question. If it's not our concern that our physician may discover some illness or problem, it's our wish not to know what something is when we find a lump or get dizzy or feel sluggish. We'd rather not know, we tell ourselves, because it might mean we have a dreadful illness. The fear not only keeps us from getting medical check-ups and regular dental care, it keeps us in a state of constant apprehension, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
What might contribute to this fear of going to our doctor's office? It might be a bad experience with a healthcare professional, painful treatments, or something bordering on disrespect. But all of this is going to be the old medical model. Patients have been letting healthcare professionals know that they are no longer patients they're 'customers', and they want different treatment. In fact, I saw an article devoted to just that subject in a major New York City newspaper.
While I've heard some professionals reminisce about the 'good old days,' I also know that medical schools and residency programs have done some major retooling. I had an opportunity to teach second-year med students how to interview patients in a hospital. The first thing I told them was that you have to introduce yourself and ask how the patient would like to be addressed.
I find it rude and unacceptable when an elderly woman or man is treated like a department store mannequin and addressed by their first name. I wasn't raised that way, and it's not something I've ever done. I know that I am here, safe and secure in my home, because the elderly of this world worked long hours in dreadful conditions just so I could reap the benefits. I will never forget them for their contributions to the world in which we live.
One of my fondest memories is of an elderly man I met one day while consulting at a nursing home. He was at the end of the hall in the last room, and he was all alone. The nurses thought he could use someone to talk to and I obliged.
I only got to meet him twice because he was gravely ill, and he was a delight. I sat listening as he told me how he had been a coachman and how they heated the coach with a pan filled with hot coals in the winter. I would have loved to have heard more.
Other residents would tell me of their memories of childhood in Europe or the streets of New York or the film sets of New Jersey. Each of them gave me something and for that, also, I am grateful. Too often it is the illness and not the person that has been treated, and we need to get back to remembering that whether 'patients' or 'customers,' each person is an individual who deserves our caring and our respect.
Related Topics: Seniors: Longer Lives, Better Health, 7 Key Traits of the Ideal Doctor
Technorati Tags: patientrespect, medicalcheckups, doctorsofficeanxiety
