“Healing is being replaced with treating, caring is supplanted by managing, and the art of listening is taken over by technological procedures. Doctors no longer minister to a distinctive person but concern themselves with fragmented, malfunctioning biologic parts,” declared Dr. Bernard Lown in his 1996 book, The Lost Art of Healing.
And more sick soldiers march to medical appointments with hope in their backpacks. Putting trust in medical professionals. Desperate for a cure, a remedy, an absence of pain. Seeking compassionate care, attentive listening, and diagnoses with dignity.
And the good doctors, the ones that show up after surgery instead of sending their assistant or intern, the ones that calmly enter the hospital room instead of rushing in like a windstorm, the ones that value the Hippocratic Oath over the bank account—are like savory salve to a wounded warrior.
And the good nurses, the ones that smile instead of scowl, the ones that explain procedures and answer questions, the ones that treat an impacted bowel immediately instead of passing on their duties when the shift changes—are like wet water in a dry desert.
Can a patient-centered health care system be achieved? Can the role of the patient change from passive recipient to active participant? Will surgeons, doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and other healthcare professionals allow patients to be partners in decision-making?
“There are a few obvious benefits of the comprehensive care model: The 30-minute clinic visits allow doctors to ask patients more questions than in the standard 15-minute visit, and having the same doctor make hospital rounds gives them a strong base of knowledge and familiarity with which to conduct hospital care,” surmised Dr. David Meltzer, a primary-care physician that conducted the first randomized clinical trial comparing models of care for high-risk Medicare patients. Journalist Kim Tingley from The New York Times spent four months observing 90 doctor-patient interactions in Meltzer’s comprehensive care clinic. Read more at www.nytimes.com/.
Leana Wen M.D., authored the 2013 article in Psychology Today, “10 Medical Errors That Can Kill You in the Hospital.” These included: misdiagnoses, unnecessary treatment, unnecessary tests and deadly procedures, medication mistakes, uncoordinated care, infections from the hospital to you, missed warning signs, being discharged too quickly, accidental falls and malfunctioning medical devices, and “never events”—deadly consequences for things that should never happen: sponges, wipes, or scissors left in people’s bodies after surgery. www.psychologytoday.com/.
Recent studies of medical errors have estimated errors may account for as many as 251,000 deaths annually in the United States, making medical errors the third leading cause of death, according to a 2017 article in the journal Studies in Health Technology and Informatics.
A 2001 article in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society explored medical mistakes in older patients with emphasis on the physician’s ethical duty to admit and address errors.
In his book, When Breath Becomes Air, the doctor who became the patient struggled to live. A courageous civilian warrior accepting the latest medical treatments—wanting to stay alive for his wife, his daughter, his parents—fighting the fight to heal his body from cancer—wanting more tomorrows. A gifted surgeon longing to save other humans from premature graves. Paul Kalanithi’s memoir about his life and illness, battling stage IV metastatic lung cancer was published posthumously. Even with quality healthcare, patients can die.
Major medical breakthroughs abound. Medical technology has made it possible for humans to live longer and healthier lives. The Nobel Prize for Medicine was presented to three Americans for discoveries about the body’s circadian rhythms.
But in my opinion, the foundation of medical healthcare is the patient-doctor relationship. And that involves two-way communication: taking the time to gather a thorough medical history; educating and explaining procedures; following up with necessary tests after surgery. Treating patients like you would want your family members to be treated—with trust and honesty. That’s the care in healthcare.
Melissa Martin, Ph.D., is an author, columnist, educator, and therapist. She lives in Southern Ohio. www.melissamartinchildrensauthor.com.