Health Care Relationships
This morning, while at the gym, I was listening to the weekly program of People’s Pharmacy with hosts Terry and Joe Gradeon. The focus of this week’s program is the effect of the doctor-patient relationships on health care outcome . It should come as no surprise that someone can be a physically competent doctor or other health care provider and a terrible physician healer. It also should come as no surprise that the quality of the human relationship has a significant physical healing affect no matter what the presenting issues. The research clearly indicates that some medications, surgery, and other treatments may often be needed, but the relationship itself affects both the ability of the body to heal and the adherence to the agreed upon treatment. Some years ago, the term adherence replaced the term compliance. Compliance came to mean that the patient was complying with the orders of the doctor. The term adherence is used to refer to whether the mutually agreed upon treatment plan has been a realistic or viable one for the patient to put into practice. All too often I still find physicians and other health care colleagues telling the patients what to do and the patient not able or willing to comply because it was not a plan to which he or she agreed and was ready or able to put into practice.
For many years, but less often today, I would hear, “He/she is a good physician but their bed side manner is not very good.” That never made sense to me. If a colleague is not present with the patient/client then the health care provider is going to miss learning who the patient is and some important symptoms which will assist in accurate diagnosis and formulating an effective treatment plan. The word physician refers to a healer. The word doctor merely tells one that someone has the resquite training and credentials. Although there is no word to differentiate between a healing counselor/psychologist/therapist and a technically training one, only healers can be maximally effective.
In order for treatment to be maximally effective a health care provider must:
Health care providers who focus on the relationship with themselves and with the patient/client are physically and emotionally healthier and will be less likely to get burnt out. Patients who feel respected and trust the competence of the health care provider are healthier, use less medication or other expensive treatment and report more quality of life.
I suspect that keeping the relationship and not task primary is emotionally, financially, and spiritually cost effective in all areas of our lives.
Written May 18, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
Coachpickett.org
This morning, while at the gym, I was listening to the weekly program of People’s Pharmacy with hosts Terry and Joe Gradeon. The focus of this week’s program is the effect of the doctor-patient relationships on health care outcome . It should come as no surprise that someone can be a physically competent doctor or other health care provider and a terrible physician healer. It also should come as no surprise that the quality of the human relationship has a significant physical healing affect no matter what the presenting issues. The research clearly indicates that some medications, surgery, and other treatments may often be needed, but the relationship itself affects both the ability of the body to heal and the adherence to the agreed upon treatment. Some years ago, the term adherence replaced the term compliance. Compliance came to mean that the patient was complying with the orders of the doctor. The term adherence is used to refer to whether the mutually agreed upon treatment plan has been a realistic or viable one for the patient to put into practice. All too often I still find physicians and other health care colleagues telling the patients what to do and the patient not able or willing to comply because it was not a plan to which he or she agreed and was ready or able to put into practice.
For many years, but less often today, I would hear, “He/she is a good physician but their bed side manner is not very good.” That never made sense to me. If a colleague is not present with the patient/client then the health care provider is going to miss learning who the patient is and some important symptoms which will assist in accurate diagnosis and formulating an effective treatment plan. The word physician refers to a healer. The word doctor merely tells one that someone has the resquite training and credentials. Although there is no word to differentiate between a healing counselor/psychologist/therapist and a technically training one, only healers can be maximally effective.
In order for treatment to be maximally effective a health care provider must:
- Have solid training in the knowledge and techniques now available.
- Be emotionally and spiritually healthy enough to have a partnership relationship with patients/clients.
- Have the tools/resources available and be affordable (equipment, medication, facilities).
- Be aware of business issues and costs, I. e. know what medication are affordable, run office efficiently.
Health care providers who focus on the relationship with themselves and with the patient/client are physically and emotionally healthier and will be less likely to get burnt out. Patients who feel respected and trust the competence of the health care provider are healthier, use less medication or other expensive treatment and report more quality of life.
I suspect that keeping the relationship and not task primary is emotionally, financially, and spiritually cost effective in all areas of our lives.
Written May 18, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
Coachpickett.org
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