What to Look for in a Doctor
October 25th 2011 11:52
You moved to a new city and need to find a new GP; your doctor closed his practise or moved to another town. Where to start?
Doctor patient relationship
This is one of the more important relationships in your life. If you don’t have a trust and confidential relationship with your doctor, it will be difficult for both parties to talk openly. Know that feeling of weighing the doctor up to see whether you like him; whether or not he seems capable to treat you. If you cannot talk and discuss your medical problems openly with your doctor, you are going to keep certain information from him. This is a dangerous thing as, without all the relevant information, your doctor may not be able to correctly diagnose your illness.
treatment of coughs and colds
Doctors sometimes become known as “colds and coughs” doctors. They are all right for petty problems but people don’t trust them when they have “more serious” medical problems. This may be true of some doctors but be careful to solely depend on people’s opinions, you may walk passed a medical angel. I once saw a “cold and cough” doctor reacting on a very ill patient’s needs. He was one of those medical persons whose personality seemed to clash with many people’s personalities but he was one of the best physicians in town.
characteristics to look for in a doctor:
There are two important characteristics to look for in a doctor:
1) Clinical skill: He must be able to spot a pattern according to the patient’s symptoms and be able to have the appropriate medical tests done to confirm and or suggest further tests if necessary. Again, his so-called bedside manners may not be all you expect but his skills and expertise is what count for his patients. Remember that doctors are human beings just like you and me. Being professional does not mean heartless and don’t care, it may mean keeping a distance to what’s best for the patient. Emotional involvement may hamper instead of better his ability to help his patients.
2) Compassion: A patient depends on his doctor’s empathy and care. If the doctor does not have the ability to support his patient through sometimes traumatic situations, a trust and confidential relationship is not easily established. When we are ill we often become like a sick child, constant attention and cloocking is what we want or else it is a bad doctor who doesn’t care about you. Many people still don’t know the difference between sympathy and empathy. I met a nurse in the old age home where my father lived. She seemed unattached, unfriendly and distant from the people under her care. When my dad was walking his last steps on earth, she was the angel who cared for him with so much compassion, patience and professionalism that I was amazed that we could ever thought her hard and unkind.
Clashing personalities
As we are all human beings the possibility of personality clashes between doctor and patient does occur. The doctor may refer the patient to another physician as it is in both their interest the better decision. If you find yourself forever on the look-out for a new doctor, you should perhaps do some introspection and pay special attention to your expectations of a doctor.
Time and Listening Skills
Unfortunately many doctor’s success is measured by how many patients they can se and treat in a day. It is a known fact that many patients see their doctor purely because they have symptoms of stress and need a good listening ear. Sometimes doctors refer such patients to another professional person who may have the time to spend in counselling. On the other hand, patients sometimes don’t come to the point and spend too much time in the history and development of their illness. Find a healthy midway when explaining your symptoms and not waste your or the physician’s time.
Doctor’s Receptionist and other personnel
A doctor’s personnel is part and parcel of his practise. Patients coming to see the doctor are often already stressed as they fear the doctor’s diagnosis. If his personnel seems unfriendly, non-care and always in a hurry to attend to the telephone, their filing or whatever else, that may be enough reason for a patient to try and find another physician. Doctor’s personnel need the skill and talent to care for patients even at the busiest times.
The doctor-patient- relationship means team work relationship. The doctor to diagnose, prescribe and treat the patient and the patient to give his/her full support and work together with, and not against, the doctor for the best results. Be open-minded when looking for a new doctor. His qualifications, compassion for his patients, availability in emergencies, working together with your health insurance, etc. should all be taken in consideration. Enjoy your health carers.
Doctor patient relationship
This is one of the more important relationships in your life. If you don’t have a trust and confidential relationship with your doctor, it will be difficult for both parties to talk openly. Know that feeling of weighing the doctor up to see whether you like him; whether or not he seems capable to treat you. If you cannot talk and discuss your medical problems openly with your doctor, you are going to keep certain information from him. This is a dangerous thing as, without all the relevant information, your doctor may not be able to correctly diagnose your illness.
treatment of coughs and colds
Doctors sometimes become known as “colds and coughs” doctors. They are all right for petty problems but people don’t trust them when they have “more serious” medical problems. This may be true of some doctors but be careful to solely depend on people’s opinions, you may walk passed a medical angel. I once saw a “cold and cough” doctor reacting on a very ill patient’s needs. He was one of those medical persons whose personality seemed to clash with many people’s personalities but he was one of the best physicians in town.
characteristics to look for in a doctor:
There are two important characteristics to look for in a doctor:
1) Clinical skill: He must be able to spot a pattern according to the patient’s symptoms and be able to have the appropriate medical tests done to confirm and or suggest further tests if necessary. Again, his so-called bedside manners may not be all you expect but his skills and expertise is what count for his patients. Remember that doctors are human beings just like you and me. Being professional does not mean heartless and don’t care, it may mean keeping a distance to what’s best for the patient. Emotional involvement may hamper instead of better his ability to help his patients.
2) Compassion: A patient depends on his doctor’s empathy and care. If the doctor does not have the ability to support his patient through sometimes traumatic situations, a trust and confidential relationship is not easily established. When we are ill we often become like a sick child, constant attention and cloocking is what we want or else it is a bad doctor who doesn’t care about you. Many people still don’t know the difference between sympathy and empathy. I met a nurse in the old age home where my father lived. She seemed unattached, unfriendly and distant from the people under her care. When my dad was walking his last steps on earth, she was the angel who cared for him with so much compassion, patience and professionalism that I was amazed that we could ever thought her hard and unkind.
Clashing personalities
As we are all human beings the possibility of personality clashes between doctor and patient does occur. The doctor may refer the patient to another physician as it is in both their interest the better decision. If you find yourself forever on the look-out for a new doctor, you should perhaps do some introspection and pay special attention to your expectations of a doctor.
Time and Listening Skills
Unfortunately many doctor’s success is measured by how many patients they can se and treat in a day. It is a known fact that many patients see their doctor purely because they have symptoms of stress and need a good listening ear. Sometimes doctors refer such patients to another professional person who may have the time to spend in counselling. On the other hand, patients sometimes don’t come to the point and spend too much time in the history and development of their illness. Find a healthy midway when explaining your symptoms and not waste your or the physician’s time.
Doctor’s Receptionist and other personnel
A doctor’s personnel is part and parcel of his practise. Patients coming to see the doctor are often already stressed as they fear the doctor’s diagnosis. If his personnel seems unfriendly, non-care and always in a hurry to attend to the telephone, their filing or whatever else, that may be enough reason for a patient to try and find another physician. Doctor’s personnel need the skill and talent to care for patients even at the busiest times.
The doctor-patient- relationship means team work relationship. The doctor to diagnose, prescribe and treat the patient and the patient to give his/her full support and work together with, and not against, the doctor for the best results. Be open-minded when looking for a new doctor. His qualifications, compassion for his patients, availability in emergencies, working together with your health insurance, etc. should all be taken in consideration. Enjoy your health carers.
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