Joshua Cohen - Dr/patient relationship

A doctor-patient relationship represents a collaboration, a shared commitment by both doctor and patient to work towards a common goal of therapeutic success.  The importance of this mutual determination cannot be understated as treatment efficacy relies on both parties as neither can be successful in isolation.  As a headache specialist, I find this message driven home to me on a daily basis.  When I work out a treatment plan with a patient, it is a conversation, not a lecture.  We determine together what is realistic for the patient – goals of care, ability to take medication, tolerance for side effects, capacity to make meaningful lifestyle changes – and craft a strategy together taking that patient’s needs and desires into account.  When the patient leaves the office, the conversation is not concluded but continues as the patient reflects upon the changes necessary to achieve the therapeutic objectives.  I find that patients take this responsibility incredibly seriously and work diligently to make those changes a reality.  What follows is pure magic.  The patient takes the medications prescribed and notes the reaction – both positives in terms of treatment efficacy and negatives in terms of side effects.  She/he keeps track of those reactions and is able to weigh the relative benefits of the treatment.  Sometimes we’ve found the right fit and the patient reports the treatment triumph.  Other times, the medication misses the mark.  When that happens, ...
Source: PHRMA - Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Source Type: news