Blumenthal on Dr/patient relationship

Analysts doing quality assurance exercises generally ask questions such as “Were the right tests ordered? Were the right drugs or other treatments prescribed?” And, of course, “Did the patient get better?”  But a different question usually goes unasked, because it is so hard to answer from medical records:  “What is the quality of the doctor-patient relationship?” In many cases, the doctor-patient relationship may be the most important element in identifying and treating the patient’s problem.  Is the patient depressed? Are there stressors in the patient’s life that are causing symptoms? A heart-to-heart conversation with the doctor may actually be the best treatment. Prevention should be an important element of most doctor-patient interactions, and here the doctor-patient relationship becomes particularly important.  Physicians should be advising their patients on diet, exercise, stress, sexual behavior, alcohol and tobacco use -- and some physicians are styling themselves as practitioners of “lifestyle medicine” and focusing on such counseling. But absent a strong doctor-patient relationship, their words of wisdom will fall on deaf ears. The key is trust – trust enough to have that conversation, or to discuss and agree on the best course of treatment (instead of the patient appearing to accept “doctor’s orders” and then ignoring them). Understanding the patient’s culture in an increasingly diverse America is another key. And approaches to d...
Source: PHRMA - Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Source Type: news