Doctors Have to Do More Than Prescribe Medication

"Doctors have more to do than prescribe medication"

Doctors and patients alike forget that they are interacting with another human being.

Lately, there have been talks about the implementation of a new system that requires patients to grade the performance of their physicians. And it makes perfect sense because doctors have to do more than prescribe medication to their patients.

In Ancient times, doctors were respected members of the society. And it was only normal for that to happen because a physician is responsible for the good life quality of his or her patients. But in modern day pleasantries are no longer a must in human interactions.

Some doctors are so tired that they sometimes forget that their patients are human beings with complex lives, and vice-versa.

That is why the idea of creating some kind of rating system is not that farfetched. Patients will be able to give constructive criticism to doctors that could use a little help developing his or her people skills. And their medical capabilities and knowledge will not be questioned, only the way in which they decided to handle a patient.

Doctors have to do more than prescribe medication, and sometimes both the physicians and the patients forget about this. But what must a great doctor do?

First of all, an excellent doctor always remembers the Hippocratic Oath. According to it, a physician must always respect its patients, give them the best treatment possible no matter their gender, economic or social status, creed, or race.

Upon finishing Med School, a doctor swears never to intentionally harm a patient. And that brings us to the second imperative quality of a good doctor, he or she listens. There are a lot of doctors in the US prescribing the wrong medication to patients because they don’t have time to ask them about themselves, to listen to the patient.

The devil’s in the details. And even though Dr. House is not a good example when it comes to patient care, he always asked questions and listened. He never rushed through a case, but rather took his time to be convinced that he is following the right course of treatment.

And lastly, the best doctor is the doctor that keeps up to date with all the latest developments in medicine. While there is nothing wrong with a lot of classical approaches, some doctors are so tied to them that sometimes they forget that the present society is advancing every day.

Doctors have to do more than prescribe medication to their patients. They must know every new detail of the new things happening in their specialty. They must be capable of offering the best care in the world. That’s a lot of pressure on just a single individual; that is why the rating system might be a good idea. It would serve to remind them that ultimately, they are working with other human beings.

Image source: Flickr

Bio
Latest Posts

Anne-Marie Jackson

Anna grew up on a steady diet of 20th century literature, science-fiction movies and Viking lore. Unsurprisingly she turned into a technology geek with an inclination for history & fantasy.