Spring Break
Attitude matters when dealing with patients
Stephanie Fu
Issue date: 2/10/09 Section: Opinion
Dr. House is notorious for his abrupt, blunt and often offensive attitude toward his patients on the hit television show, "House M.D." However, in real life, this attitude can be extremely annoying from doctors and surgeons.
This past week, while some of my family members were in the hospital to meet with a surgeon, they had an 8 a.m. appointment and weren't seen until well past 11 a.m. I understand that in a doctor or surgeon's world, things are often hectic and spontaneous and emergencies can cause all other schedules to be forfeited, but when the surgeon walked in, he was irritable and vague when he should have been informative, supportive -- or at least somewhat sympathetic.
In an article published by The New York Times, Dr. Pauline Chen discussed the importance of one's "bedside manner" while practicing medicine. She observed that, "Medical students and residents copy the lingo, manners and expressions of more established senior residents and attending physicians. The lessons these role models, who are often tired and stressed out themselves, can be sobering."
Respectfully, doctors and surgeons are among the few that have the ability and the knowledge to perform miraculous procedures that save lives, but "bedside manner" still matters. Health psychology is a new field of study that analyzes the influence of attitude on ameliorating illnesses. Many psychologists in the field have shown that a better attitude can help speed the healing process of patients, just as anti-depressants can help sufferers of anxiety or depression disorders.
If surgeons and doctors are concerned with saving lives, and they know that attitude may be able to help -- in the slightest chance that this theory is true -- wouldn't they want to influence their patient's attitude in a positive way?
A sick patient is obviously dealing with a lot of anxiety and stress because of his or her own condition. If doctors, surgeons or nurses are encouraging and sympathetic and just plain nice, he or she could have a better attitude that may possibly help his body work faster in becoming healthier.
It doesn't make any sense for someone who hates children to become a teacher. Or just because they had a trying day, to be bitter and irritable to her last class when they had nothing to do with anything that happened earlier.
Choosing a profession and deciding to commit to one is a package deal. Not only do doctors and surgeons have to work extremely hard in their training and put in 60 or 70 hours a week, they also must be able to interact with people well -- or at least somewhat well -- in order to be helpful to their patients.
The bottom line is that the patient will need the doctor to save his life regardless of the doctor's "bedside manner," but a doctor that is successful and knowledgeable in his profession as well as kind and concerned about his patients is the doctor that will win respect and admiration.
This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.
This past week, while some of my family members were in the hospital to meet with a surgeon, they had an 8 a.m. appointment and weren't seen until well past 11 a.m. I understand that in a doctor or surgeon's world, things are often hectic and spontaneous and emergencies can cause all other schedules to be forfeited, but when the surgeon walked in, he was irritable and vague when he should have been informative, supportive -- or at least somewhat sympathetic.
In an article published by The New York Times, Dr. Pauline Chen discussed the importance of one's "bedside manner" while practicing medicine. She observed that, "Medical students and residents copy the lingo, manners and expressions of more established senior residents and attending physicians. The lessons these role models, who are often tired and stressed out themselves, can be sobering."
Respectfully, doctors and surgeons are among the few that have the ability and the knowledge to perform miraculous procedures that save lives, but "bedside manner" still matters. Health psychology is a new field of study that analyzes the influence of attitude on ameliorating illnesses. Many psychologists in the field have shown that a better attitude can help speed the healing process of patients, just as anti-depressants can help sufferers of anxiety or depression disorders.
If surgeons and doctors are concerned with saving lives, and they know that attitude may be able to help -- in the slightest chance that this theory is true -- wouldn't they want to influence their patient's attitude in a positive way?
A sick patient is obviously dealing with a lot of anxiety and stress because of his or her own condition. If doctors, surgeons or nurses are encouraging and sympathetic and just plain nice, he or she could have a better attitude that may possibly help his body work faster in becoming healthier.
It doesn't make any sense for someone who hates children to become a teacher. Or just because they had a trying day, to be bitter and irritable to her last class when they had nothing to do with anything that happened earlier.
Choosing a profession and deciding to commit to one is a package deal. Not only do doctors and surgeons have to work extremely hard in their training and put in 60 or 70 hours a week, they also must be able to interact with people well -- or at least somewhat well -- in order to be helpful to their patients.
The bottom line is that the patient will need the doctor to save his life regardless of the doctor's "bedside manner," but a doctor that is successful and knowledgeable in his profession as well as kind and concerned about his patients is the doctor that will win respect and admiration.
This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.
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