What can be done to improve the doctor-patient relationship?
A. 1. Change the selection process for doctors. Balance the selection of scientific strengths with caring, humane strengths. 2. Change the training of doctors to a more humane, problem-based curriculum. 3. Pay doctors for the time they spend counseling patients and promoting wellness and healthy lifestyles. 4. Scrap managed care and develop a more humane, effective, efficient health care insurance system. 5. Change the legal system from an adversarial system to a less destructive system. Q. How can doctors develop effective, caring helping relationships? A. A recent research project asked a group of health care professionals to rank their effectiveness as communicators. 60% of these professionals ranked themselves in the top 10%. Obviously, the first step for doctors is to recognize that they can improve their effectiveness in helping patients learn how to change destructive lifestyle habits. Doctors need to seek training and resources to learn effective helping skills in and after the
