Doctors and other professionals who enter the healthcare industry do so for many reasons—professional achievement, financial stability, and building a family legacy in medicine are top among these. However, a deeper, underlying reason might be that they want to treat sick people.
This is the most important attribute of a physician, nurse, or allied health professional; every decision they make in the ward, operating room, or the ER boils down to a desire to heal. Medical professionals learn the “five C’s” in school—communication, competency, convenience, confidentiality, and compassion—and these are the qualities patients expect of them.
1. Communication
In any profession that involves relating with others, you need good communication skills. Though they are ill, patients can sense if a doctor is paying attention to their conversation. Doctors who look like they are in a hurry or those who cannot be bothered to unpack complex medical ideas are unlikely to retain patients in the long term.
Aside from having a reputation for impatience, doctors who do not communicate well might be branded as incompetent. Most people in the STEM fields have years of research and training under their belt, so actual proficiency is not the issue. It is on the physician, though, to take the time to speak with patients and their families, assuage their fears and respond to concerns.
Furthermore, communication directly contributes to patient outcomes. Physicians who have good interpersonal skills have overall healthier patients, a result of accurate history-taking, responsive evaluation, and the clear laying down of a treatment plan.
2. Competency
The basic expectation patients have of a doctor is that they can and will provide quality treatment. This means making the right diagnosis and successfully performing procedures. It also means drawing up a suitable treatment plan and following up on the patient’s progress.
Physicians will need to sustain their work over many years, and what they know to be best practices today will be outdated in one or two decades. It is necessary to keep improving in this field, and this is only possible if they embrace academic work—essentially, for life.
One way they can keep high levels of competency is to keep asking how they can be better healthcare providers. Reframing their tasks in this way helps them approach each case with an eye towards continuous improvement. Always reflecting on how to be a better physician will also prime them to keep an eye out for training, chances to take on subspecialties, or generally raising the bar of what they can achieve as professionals.
3. Convenience
Waiting long hours for anything is bad enough; doing it because you’re in need of medical attention is worse. Delays in treatments or medical procedures are literally the cause of death for some people, making the job of physicians even more crucial. Not only do they need to provide accurate treatment, but they must do so in a timely manner.
To accommodate the influx of patients, some physicians offer consultations at odd hours or during the weekend. House calls are also making a comeback, especially for patients who cannot make the trip downtown because of old age or infirmity. With more than 2 million homebound patients in the U.S., this option is the only one for many.
4. Confidentiality
Vigilance about patient records should be automatic with doctors. Routinely keeping themselves updated through the HIPPA Index is necessary, as physicians should ensure that they are maintaining good data security and confidentiality measures. Discussing a patient’s information or medical history with non-essential personnel can be a basis for legal action.
5. Compassion
Patients, more than anything, need compassion. They are already in pain or are suffering from their ailment, and doctors should have the capacity to show care for them. This can be challenging for people who do not have a natural instinct for these sorts of things, however, compassion need not be feigned. In actuality, it can be learned.
Conclusion
Being a doctor is a lifelong calling. As such, physicians should cultivate certain values alongside their technical skills. It’s essential to remember the five C’s mentioned above form the foundation of a lasting career.
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