Bedside Manner Blog

A woman went to doctors the office. She was seen by one of the new doctors, but after about 4 minutes in the examination room, she burst out, screaming as she ran down the hall. An older doctor stopped and asked her what the problem was, and she explained. He had her sit down and relax in another room. The older doctor marched back to the first and demanded, "What's the matter with you? Mrs. Johnson is 65 years old, she has four grown children and seven grandchildren, and you told her she was pregnant?" The new doctor smiled smugly as he continued to write on his clipb ...

All kinds of people choose the healing arts, just like any other field of endeavor. Some of them are unsavory characters and some just make bad choices in critical areas of their lives. Patients expect a higher level of behavior from those to whom they entrust their care. ____ The research a medical doctor performed for a major drug company was called into question after he was arrested on his front lawn, brandishing a gun, naked except for underwear that hid his cocaine along with his private parts. ____ An orthodontist was convicted of molesting young girls and went to pri ...

The goal of seeking out healthcare is to resolve one problem or another. Who wouldn’t want to see the very best, most competent practitioner around? How can the image of competence be better portrayed than through exuding confidence? ____ A Dental Specialist Says I get to see the quality of many practitioners’ work. The most interesting phenomenon about how many doctors are perceived by their patients is through the confidence they exhibit. I know two fellows in particular who had enormous practices and their patients’ loved them even though they may have been ...

A terribly overweight woman goes to the doctor to find the perfect diet. “I want you to eat regularly for two days then skip a day. Do that for two weeks and when you come back you will have lost five pounds.” When she returned, she shocked the doctor by losing twenty pounds. “Why, that’s amazing. Did you follow my instructions?” The woman nodded. “I did, but I thought I would drop dead by the third day.” “From hunger?” asked the doctor. “No, from the skipping.” ____ As one of the pillars of bedside manner, the benefi ...

Some health-care providers treat patients who have lost function as a regular part of their practice. One might expect that the more dramatic the loss, i.e. blindness, deafness, paralysis, the more compassion needed. However, any loss of function may be considered devastating to the individual who places great value on something others may not consider. The practitioner with great bedside manner is never complacent about exhibiting the utmost compassion for any and all losses experienced by their patients. Upon first meeting with the patient experiencing a loss of function you should ac ...

When a procedure fails, your patient will still hold you in high regard if you have great bedside manner. You will be better protected from legal redress if you have a proper informed consent and you have communicated the possibility of failure before the treatment. Even with these protections, you still want to express your concern and show compassion. In my specialty, that conversation could go like this: “I’m so sorry the root canal treatment hasn’t worked out for you. We tried everything possible and, unfortunately, your case was one of the ten percent that just do ...

Compassion is the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it. It isn’t only showing concern for a major loss like the death of a loved one, for example. You can also show compassion for the patient whose financial problems force them to choose a less than ideal treatment. Compassion is being able to put yourself in another person’s place. Feel what they feel. It would be nice if compassion were a universal trait that needed no instruction, but not everyone seems innately capable of understanding the problems of others, especi ...

Being a great doctor and being perceived as a great doctor by your patients are two entirely different matters. Every health-care school in the nation provides curriculum to train highly competent practitioners to serve the community. However, formal training in bedside manner, the way in which a doctor relates to the patient, is generally underdeveloped. While it may be impossible to change your personality, there is no reason basic interpersonal skills can’t be learned as they relate to managing patients. The Seven Cs of a Great Doctor: Competency Compassion ...

Psychiatrist to nurse: “Just say we’re very busy, don’t keep saying, ‘It’s a madhouse.’” ____ While in the beginning of these posts, competency was not defined as a critical component of bedside manner; it is the essence of being a truly great provider. Everyone in the health-care industry should strive to be the most competent provider around. Creed of Competency: It is the duty of all health-care providers to be the best that they can be, to limit practice to areas of expertise and competency, and to seek quality continuing education t ...

A woman goes to her doctor who verifies that she is pregnant. This is her first pregnancy. The doctor asks her if she has any questions. She replies, "Well, I'm a little worried about the pain. How much will childbirth hurt?" The doctor answered, "Well, that varies from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy and besides, it's difficult to describe pain." "I know, but can't you give me some idea?" she asks. "Grab your upper lip and pull it out a little..." "Like this?" "A little more..." "Like th ...