I've been following a provocative blog, Musings of a Distractable Mind, hosted by primary care physician Dr. Rob Lamberts. His recent post entitled "10 Rules for Good Medicine." offers food for thought about modern healthcare. Here is a sampling, with my commentary added:
"The visit is for the patient’s health, not the doctor’s income or ego." That this needs saying speaks volumes about the sad state of medical care in some settings.
When a physician orders a test, '"[T]he question, 'What will I do with these results?' should always be answerable. If it is not, the test should not be done." Clinicians learn this in medical school. So patients should feel comfortable asking, "Doctor, how might the results of this test affect what we do?"
"Relationship is one of the best tools for achieving optimal care." I agree, which is why I spend most of my waking hours blogging, writing and speaking about compassionate care.
"The best-case scenario for regular visits is that there are no medical problems, in which case the visit will be mainly social." The paradox of Healthy Survivorship is that by paying quality attention to all aspects of illness, patients' illness can slip into the background of life as much as possible.
"If the house is burning down, don't cut the lawn." A fabulous metaphor to help patients who are focusing on less significant details in the setting of a major problem. Thanks, Dr. Rob!
I remember what a joy it was for my internist when my house was no longer burning down and we had the luxury of dealing with the lawn again.
Posted by: Finn | May 25, 2010 at 08:38 AM