By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    benefits of using protein powder to build muscles
    Protein Powder for Muscle Mass: Everything You Need to Know
    December 12, 2021
    changes brought on by blockchain in healthcare
    Technology In The Healthcare Industry
    March 28, 2022
    What Does Core Body Temperature Say About Health?
    August 17, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    FDA Approves Diabetes Pill
    May 2, 2011
    Patient Gets Drunk on Hand Sanitizer
    June 20, 2011
    Cultivating Health Improvement
    July 20, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Better Bedside Manners Heal Doctor-Patient Relationships
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Medical Education > Better Bedside Manners Heal Doctor-Patient Relationships
Medical Education

Better Bedside Manners Heal Doctor-Patient Relationships

Michael Kirsch
Last updated: July 30, 2012 8:23 am
Michael Kirsch
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

Would you rather your physician be an astute diagnostician or a compassionate and empathic practitioner? Of course, we want our physicians to be blends of these qualities. We want it all.  We want them to be chimeras of Drs. House and Welby. But, is this possible?

Would you rather your physician be an astute diagnostician or a compassionate and empathic practitioner? Of course, we want our physicians to be blends of these qualities. We want it all.  We want them to be chimeras of Drs. House and Welby. But, is this possible?

I can’t say. I suspect that it is easier to cultivate soft bedside manners than it is to teach medical acumen, although the latter was the overriding priority when I was in medical training. No points were awarded in our morning reports with the chief of medicine for holding a patient’s hand during the night. Big win, however, if the intern could recite 14 causes of hypercalcemia.  The message was that ‘hard medicine’ is what really matters.

Where’s the bedside manners site?

The importance of bedside manners depends upon the specific medical circumstance at hand.  Good bedside manners may mean less if you are going to see a physician once for a procedure than it would if the doctor-patient relationship were to be ongoing.

More Read

Image
AMA Awards $11M to Medical Schools Poised to Transform #meded
What You Need to Know if You Want to Run Your Own Medical Practice
Moles: Simple Skin Issue or Something More?
Remote Doctor Consultations –Not Quite Ready for Prime Time
An American Med Student Student Learns New Skills in Nepal

There has been more emphasis on medical humanity in medical training in recent years, although the trajectory has not been a straight and steady incline. Resistance to reducing excessive and oppressive work schedules of interns and residents is still viable, but progress has been made. I’m not suggesting that medical interns work a 40 hour work week, but I do reject that exhausted and somnambulating house staff are a necessary feature of medical training and education. And, if medical ‘reform’ keeps progressing, how much dedication can we expect from house staff who will later join the ranks of employed physicians who are on a time clock?

Perhaps, shift work doctors will have meaningful doctor-patient relationships. Since these physicians will have more of a life, perhaps they will relate better to their patients as human beings. I’m not certain of this, but I offer it as a possibility.

Bedside Manners vs Brainpower

I have come to appreciate how important are the soft sides of medical practice. Of course, medical knowledge is critical, but medical judgment is paramount. We’ve all seen medical geniuses who wielded a clumsy clinical axe. Conversely, we’ve admired great healers who were not scholars. If I’m sick, I’ll pass on the medical prodigy in favor of an excellent listener and judicious practitioner. Remember patients, no doctor has it all.

Here are a few clinical scenarios I’ve encountered recently that require a non-scholarly remedy.

  • A physician is interviewing a man with hepatitis C. His wife is at the bedside. Do you ask then about a history of intravenous drug use, which is an essential question in this circumstance?
  • A nurse gives a patient more sedation than the physician ordered. Should this be reported to her supervisor if no adverse consequence occurred?
  • A colleague requests that you do a procedure on an elderly patient that can be medically justified, but isn’t truly necessary. What should the procedurist’s next move be?
  • A patient is convinced that his complaints have a medical explanation, although the physician strongly suspects they are psychologically based. What’s the doctor’s game plan here? One false step and the doctor-patient relationship may be ruptured.

Physicians wrestle with these kinds of issues every day. Sometimes, we get them right and sometimes we misfire. We’re not perfect, even though we often feel that this is the expectation. Not surprisingly, different physicians have their own individual approaches to medical and ethical issues.  Every physician is unique by virtue of different training, personality style and experience.  I wonder how the pay-for-performance panacea will measure all of this.
Doctoring is tricky business, and we don’t know the specific ingredients and proportions that constitute a great physician. There is no recipe. It’s an amorphous mixture of humanity, humility, medical knowledge, clinical experience, excellent communication skills, compassion and personal warmth.  And, of course, we’re supposed to run on time.

As patients, which qualities in your physicians do you value most?

TAGGED:doctor/patient relationship
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Dental health
May 21, 2025
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
Dental health
May 21, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025

You Might also Like

Medical Fellowship
Health careMedical Education

6 Ways to Make the Most Out of Your Medical Fellowship

March 8, 2019

Medical Educators Need to Take Charge and Help Deflate Medical Bills

April 8, 2013
Medical EducationNewsPublic HealthSpecialties

How to Communicate with Patients When Words Won’t Work

July 14, 2014

Western Medicine vs. Alternative Medicine in India

September 8, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?