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WHAT IS A GOOD
DOCTOR?
[you are now reading a page on Dr. Shaw's personal
website]
Although there is some truth to the statement that
90% of illnesses go away cured in spite of what patients and families or the doctors do, that
still leaves a lot of serious work to be done!
While the above statement suggests that an OK, or
adequate, or good-enough doctor is sufficient, we think that the discerning patient is most
efficiently served by the truly good doctor...the one who will pick up the exceptional and
important diagnosis and will pick up the important deviations from abnormal early in the
course of a dangerous disease. While good doctors often have highly efficient, systematized
functioning of their offices and referral processes, this may not be the doctor who
can "churn" patients through and meet the productivity demands of low-pay insurance and
managed care climates of payment coverage. In any case, it is well worth your while to listen
and learn and help take care of yourself. Socio-political pressures have forced the
health-care system and doctors into making "helter-skelter" medical practice quite
common.
It is you feeling of trust that makes you feel as
if you have a "good doctor". It takes a determined, tenacious, and intellectually capable
person to be a doctor...but what makes a good doctor?
- Academic credentials and training: important but
doesn't necessarily make a good doctor.
- high-to-brilliant intellect: important but doesn't
necessarily make a good doctor.
- high social
standing: important but doesn't necessarily make a good doctor.
- widespread
political connections: important but doesn't necessarily make a good
doctor.
- having a
booming practice (therefore the doctor MUST be good): possibly important but
doesn't necessarily make a good doctor.
- Keeping up
and attending medical education and update courses: important but doesn't necessarily
make a good doctor.
- being
sincere and caring: important but doesn't necessarily make a good
doctor.
Because the doctor-patient relationship has been
interfered with by the constant threat of lawsuits, managed-care and other third-party
insurance company rules & restrictions, as well as federal (with the constant threat of huge fines) and state government rules
& restrictions (especially the amazingly time-consuming electronic records required required around and by Obamacare), there is only so much time a doctor can give to you in an office or
bedside visit. You will be much better off if you will avoid triggering helter-skelter
medicine by being willing to schedule another appointment for discussion after you have had
the chance to digest and learn a little about any finding which seems to you to be "bad
news".
But, a good doctor: has good
training, keeps current in what he does, focuses on you when with you, gives professionally
adequate time for your case, is reasonably caring, is as thorough as professionally needed,
is trustworthy, and is HELPFUL to you. He exhibits common sense, wisdom, and decisiveness,
though being willing to admit to it when stumped. And he is willing to direct you to second
or other opinions or specialists. In short, whatever the religious or atheistic background,
he/she does unto you as he/she would have it done unto himself/herself (the Christian "golden
rule"). If he is known in the community for uprightness, trustworthiness and integrity, it is
likely that your situation will also be handled with uprightness and
integrity.
***give me your comments about this
page***
check out the Highest
TRUTH
[27 July
1998; latest adjustment 5 May 2015]
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