First of all being a doctor by profession, I would say that patients are the most important visitors to us. We are literally dependent on them and I believe it is a mutual benefit between a doctor and a patient — a doctor gets an opportunity to serve humanity and earn his livelihood by amusing his patients. Likewise a patient gets an opportunity to get himself treated and stay healthy and happy on visiting a doctor.
Besides diagnosing and treating a patient clinically, positive counselling of a patient by his doctor with immense care, concern and love during the course of treatment forms an important part in the line of management. Having said that, counselling a patient pragmatically forms an important part of managing his/her concerns and ensuring welfare. Getting into the shoes of a patient, developing empathy, sympathy, love, care and giving him/her hope in a state when he/she might be feeling hopeless/ emotionally down/ helpless while understanding his struggles — is the best way to bring revolution and positively impact the life of a patient.
A doctor while receiving a patient – who is bed-ridden, couldn’t do things that he could have done while being in health normally, his life gets shattered for a moment of life being ill. The doctor comes to amuse the patient and with the cure of God the patient gets off -bed and starts again a healthy life. The doctor by amusing the patient brings change/revolution in his (patient’s) life.
A patient is the best noble teacher for a doctor other than the teacher who taught him in a medical school. A patient gives a doctor an opportunity to serve humanity, to please Almighty Lord and to teach him morally, practically and ethically. More often, I used to invest time in counselling patients and give them enough motivation to live life with a disease. When patient gives a hopeful smile at the end that becomes the moment of my great satisfaction.
I could remember one of the renowned medicos cum noted scientist – in an interview saying that we should focus on three important things ‘being a doctor’. First we should give priority to effective patient care/management by keeping in focus the ‘clinical medicine’ while dealing with the patients, besides adopting labs and modern imaging modalities in establishing diagnosis. Secondly, we should always teach and pass on our gained knowledge to others. Thirdly, we should take interest in research to explore and gain more. Additionally, he said that we should revive the concept of ‘being a doctor’ while it was perceived decades back — to strengthen trust in a doctor-patient relationship.
Even during our recent meeting, the said doctor appraised about various aspects to focus on in a doctor-patient relationship — trust, mutual respect and understanding, confidentiality, communication skills, sympathy and empathy, ethics, encouraging clinical medicine besides adopting necessary labs and modern imaging modalities in establishing diagnosis, including other aspects.
Moreover, enlightening a patient through all dimensions of health is revolutionary to the life of a patient. Besides encouraging clinical, physical, social, mental, emotional, intellectual dimensions — spiritual dimension is cornerstone. Most of the times I could realise a patient gets relief beyond words by enlightening him spiritually.
Lastly, I would say that to hold bond of strength — mutual understanding and trust for each other is very important in a doctor-patient relationship. Whenever there happens any misunderstanding or distrust, disputes and conflict arises. Rising disputes, conflicts and violent acts are the result of distortion of this relationship.
Therefore, we need to avoid any disputes by reposing trust on our doctors in order to strengthen this relationship. And more importantly, I believe effective communication between a doctor and his patient — acts as a strong pillar in developing trust in a doctor- patient relationship, besides improving the quality of life of the patient.
(Author is a Medical doctor and columnist. Feedback: [email protected])
