DOCTOR, ARE YOU LISTENING?

DOCTOR, ARE YOU LISTENING?

It’s a challenge for doctors to listen to people who are not talking. Many patients don’t talk because they feel someone doesn’t care or would not understand them and beside, they were not heard in  their past experiences  besides no one has ever asked me if everything was ok and did I have any concerns.  I never mentioned that I work a second job to pay my bills and cant afford the medication.  One even asked me if I could take another student loan to help pay for my treatment. 

As a doctor, I feel at odds with my colleagues who are supposed to care for people.  We doctors have the responsibility to be truthful and good.  By using our past experiences and knowledge, we must think how to improve the treatments and be sure of our diagnoses. 

We must be cool in an emergency, and never scare our patients.  We use sedation within reason to calm overanxious patients, since yelling would only add to the patient’s mistrust.  I try to listen and not finish patients statements.  We respect you the patient as we ask for respect. 

Many Americans feel disconnected from their doctors, compared to a generation ago.  There seems to be less confidence in the whole profession and the health system.  Frequent publicized mishaps and misinformation make the patient question the doctor’s decisions.  They even today question his financial motives. 

There is a grooving divide between us.  We all want the same thing, the best care possible.  But we have lost the ability to talk to each other.  The meaning illness, care, health and policies are important to us all.  How can we bridge the gap?  We might not be able the change the health care, but we sure can at least begin to talk about it.

 

But it is reasonable to expect the doctor to listen to your own developed interest in a subject even if he sees gaps in your articulation.   He may have a superior knowledge of health care but you may be more informed on one particular facet of your care.

The medical profession is your friend, not your enemy.  Somehow you and your doctor must get mutual respect for overcoming your disease and maintaining your health.

Over one third of patients seek alternative or complimentary treatments and fail to tell their doctors.  You can’t act behind your doctor’s back.  There must have been something that caused your doctor to shut himself off from considering alternatives.  It is out of date to think that doctors can’t learn anything from their patients.   GOOD MEDICAL PRACTICE BEGINS WITH GOOD LISTENING.

It is unlikely that healing will occur if trust is not a part of the physician patient relationship.  Some doctors have a simpleminded philosophy about illness.  Illness is the enemy hat is assaulted with all the medical skill and technology in his command, even if the suffered succumbs to the treatment. 

No one benefits from comments if the listener has not actually heard what the other is saying.  Listening is life’s quest.  As people talk over the years and share intimate details of themselves we can get glimpses into their lives.  Looking into the patient’s eyes tells a lot.  How to add a spiritual dimension to medical professionalism.  Our age is cruel and secular.

I feel sad for my profession. When I started medical school 54 years ago, I believed in having a good relationship with my patients.  We worked together.  I am not sure that is the situation today.  We must remedy this disconnect by listening and at least talking to our patients again.

What do you think?

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