Today is National Doctor Day! The history behind this day actually started on March 30th 1933 when it was first observed in Winder Ga. Eudora Brown Almond wanted to honor her husband Dr. Charles B Almond. In doing so, greeting cards were mailed to doctors and flowers were placed on the graves of deceased doctors. It was not until Feb. 21st 1991 that President George Bush proclaimed that March 30th would become National Doctor Day. President Bush's Proclamation 6253 can be googled and read by all.
It is already a wonderful day, but this year National Doctor Day happened to fall on Good Friday. So I am sure we can all think of at least on doctor in our life that we can honor. Some people may think of many.
I can think of some that have been instrumental in helping my husband and I be here in this very moment today. They have made great sacrifices in their own lives so we may enjoy ours. Although they may not know it, we are extremely blessed for their service to mankind.
I hope that the doctors out there that are burned out or having trouble coping with their profession will have at least one good encounter that will let them know that they are appreciated.
I will finish this post with a quote for National Doctor Day !!
"A doctor, like anyone else who has to deal with human beings, each of
them unique, cannot be a scientist; he is either, like the surgeon, a
craftsman, or, like the physician and the psychologist, an artist. This
means that in order to be a good doctor a man must also have a good
character, that is to say, whatever weaknesses and foibles he may have,
he must love his fellow human beings in the concrete and desire their
good before his own." — W. H. Auden
Happy Easter Doctors !!
Life is beautiful !
Elizabeth:)
Friday, March 30, 2018
Thursday, March 8, 2018
Good Physician Reviews Are a Result Of Trust
I just got done reading an on-line article by an anonymous physician about patient satisfaction rating surveys. The physician identified their self as fairly new to the medical profession. The physician was worried that bad on-line reviews would hurt their practice. They felt that medicine should be about treating the illness and not the happiness of the patient. They were referring to a patient that demanded a test and threatened to give a bad review if it was not ordered. However the article did not give detail as to whether the physician tried to explain to the patient why he felt it was not necessary. The physician just stated he should not have to see patients that did not like what he had to say. My opinion is difficult patients need care also. This may be a lesson in life that will help you become a better physician. Perhaps a class in communication would help in dealing with difficult patients. I hope this physician with time can change his thoughts about what practicing medicine is about.
I myself have been in situations as a nurse and caregiver where difficult problems have happened when dealing with physicians. We are all human and say and make mistakes. It is however an art to deal with patients that may be difficult or not thinking clearly. It is not for us to worry about bad reviews or what others think of us, but we must remember that when patients are ill they are not going to be pleasant.
From the inside looking out I would like to be honest once again. Over the course of my career as an RN, I took care of thousands of sick people. I had to realize that they were having a bad day because their quality of life was interrupted. They probably didn't have the energy to put on the happy face and I wasn't worried that they didn't like me. I was however responsible for how I treated them
From the inside looking out a good physician has learned the art of listening to the patient and asking about their fears and what their expectations are for quality of life. The physician knows how to put the patient's mind at ease by explaining why a particular treatment plan is the best for them. It is about knowing that patients are vulnerable and afraid. A patient is usually seeing a physician because they are not feeling well and many factors can be altering their personality. A good physician recognizes that the difficult patient may need a referral to someone that can help them resolve anger or fear. We all know that when we don't feel good we are irritable. A good physician will say talk to me about your greatest fears concerning your illness. They have the compassion to say I don't know all the answers, but together we will work to give you the best quality of life.
The patient - physician encounter is not about just an illness. It is about listening to the needs of the patient and insuring that they have good quality of life. It is about giving them resources to help them understand the diagnosis and what you can do for them. If they become combative or disrespectful it is not conducive for the physician to retaliate. It is about building trust with a patient and sometimes that means putting your own morals or problems aside and helping them. From my own personal experience most difficult patients or families are acting out as a cry for help. They need the physician to take the lead and listen and ask what can I do to help your situation. A good physician will always have a great support system in place for referrals to colleagues that can help.
Physicians please quit worrying about your reviews and start building trust with your patients. If you are unable to establish the trust then help them find a physician who can. Your reviews will be great because you listened to the patient and helped them the best way you could.
You someday may be a patient and you will want your voice to be heard.
God Bless all Physicians !
Life is beautiful !
Elizabeth:)
I myself have been in situations as a nurse and caregiver where difficult problems have happened when dealing with physicians. We are all human and say and make mistakes. It is however an art to deal with patients that may be difficult or not thinking clearly. It is not for us to worry about bad reviews or what others think of us, but we must remember that when patients are ill they are not going to be pleasant.
From the inside looking out I would like to be honest once again. Over the course of my career as an RN, I took care of thousands of sick people. I had to realize that they were having a bad day because their quality of life was interrupted. They probably didn't have the energy to put on the happy face and I wasn't worried that they didn't like me. I was however responsible for how I treated them
From the inside looking out a good physician has learned the art of listening to the patient and asking about their fears and what their expectations are for quality of life. The physician knows how to put the patient's mind at ease by explaining why a particular treatment plan is the best for them. It is about knowing that patients are vulnerable and afraid. A patient is usually seeing a physician because they are not feeling well and many factors can be altering their personality. A good physician recognizes that the difficult patient may need a referral to someone that can help them resolve anger or fear. We all know that when we don't feel good we are irritable. A good physician will say talk to me about your greatest fears concerning your illness. They have the compassion to say I don't know all the answers, but together we will work to give you the best quality of life.
The patient - physician encounter is not about just an illness. It is about listening to the needs of the patient and insuring that they have good quality of life. It is about giving them resources to help them understand the diagnosis and what you can do for them. If they become combative or disrespectful it is not conducive for the physician to retaliate. It is about building trust with a patient and sometimes that means putting your own morals or problems aside and helping them. From my own personal experience most difficult patients or families are acting out as a cry for help. They need the physician to take the lead and listen and ask what can I do to help your situation. A good physician will always have a great support system in place for referrals to colleagues that can help.
Physicians please quit worrying about your reviews and start building trust with your patients. If you are unable to establish the trust then help them find a physician who can. Your reviews will be great because you listened to the patient and helped them the best way you could.
You someday may be a patient and you will want your voice to be heard.
God Bless all Physicians !
Life is beautiful !
Elizabeth:)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)