Medicine isn ’t just about accuracy and efficiency

As a family practice resident, I’ve found that a premium is placed not only on my clinical acumen but also on how well I respond to my patients’ mental and emotional experience of illness. Yet the work of learning to be a doctor is just that — work. (And in overwhelming amounts.) Time management becomes ever more vital: As I take the time needed to gently break bad news and to console a patient, I must also stay conscious of the next patient’s appointment, the next phone call to make, the next exam to study for, the next lecture to attend, the next research project to complete and the next practice guideline to learn. As my residency progressed, I found myself increasingly preoccupied with this aspect of work. I timed my office visits to determine how I could improve my efficiency. I honed my admission-interview shtick so that I could get a comprehensive story in half the time. I learned to elicit the needed information from a patient so that I could make an assessment and get to the treatment plan as quickly as possible. And, I noticed, I was feeling increasingly disconnected from my patients. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Tags: Physician Hospital Source Type: blogs