How to be a Successful Doctor- a patient’s perspective

A Successful Doctor- from a patient’s perspective
Smile
Costs nothing
Increases the emotional bank balance
Gives the care & warmth expected
Smile can cure the anxiety of the patient
Ray of hope radiates from the smile!
Communication Skills
• Effective communication
• Active Listening
• Cultural/Language Sensitivity
• No gender/social bias
• Empathize
• Entrust to speak
• Build the Trust
• Avoid Deliberate Critical Comments
• Be curious
• Avoid Peer criticism
• A good listener truly wants to know the speaker
Counsel
• Focus on mental health rather than just the physical ailment
• Counseling enhances the mental power
• Understand the social and mental stigma
• Do not undervalue the problem with a mechanical cause
• Biological or mechanical reasons are part of treatment procedure
• Counseling kills the ills without the pills
Data Collection
• Listen, listen and listen
• Note down the discussion
• Encourage to reveal rather than perceive
• Patient is the priority
• Do not use medical jargons
• Probe for past history
• Do not expect the patient to be medically savvy
• Every patient is different, only symptoms match
• Key to opening the magic box of information is with you !
What Next?
• Past is past, what is next?
• Prescribe for the patient and ailment
• Educate and explain
• Do not conceal, or presume
• Explain process and procedures
• Do’s and Do not’s in procedure
• Steps to follow
• Cost involved and payment options
• Clarity will make the patient follow your advice
Solution /Treatment
• Every step of treatment should increase the trust
• Treatment procedure and data available to all related staff to avoid misinterpretations
• Educate the team and staff on behavior
• For many patients, their doctor is a savior. Value this !
• Include the patient in major decision making
• Cure= medicine + trust
Be successful to triumph
Your designation doesn’t make you successful, how you follow it matters
Trustworthiness and capability make you a successful doctor
A successful doctor will have high social responsibility
Success is the measure of happy patients