Sunday, October 28, 2007

Helping patients to make a decision

One of the most important roles a physician plays is helping patients to make the right decision. This is always very hard to do , because a good doctor should try to empower patients to make their own decision for themselves !

I see myself as being a Sounding Board, and I try to help my patients walk through their options. I do my best to not impose my answers or to tell them what to do , even though this can be hard . I often play the role of a Devil's Advocate, to make sure they have considered all the pros and cons before deciding. I will often give them a "cooling off" period, during which they have time to mull over their choices, so they can follow their heart.

I do have biases, and I share these with them, so they can factor these in when deciding. At the end of the day, they should have peace of mind they did their best !

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