This
week has been crazy and I haven't blogged at all. I apologize for not
posting anything in quite some time but the next few blog posts will be all
about my experience in Utrecht and Amsterdam. Some of what I'll be
posting is copied from a class blog, but I thought it would still provide great
insight.
Within
our individual discussion with the General Practitioner in Utrecht and our
lecture with a hospice owner, we noticed a very refreshing similarity in
the manner in which these two providers referred to the individuals they
treated. The General Practitioner discussed how he loved watching his patients
grow up; he cares for them throughout their journey from childhood to adulthood
and into the final years of their lives. He mentioned that his patients become
his family. Likewise, the hospice owner mentioned that she refrains from
calling the hospice inhabitants “patients;” instead, she prefers to call them
“residents.” She emphasized how essential it is to view the residents as humans
and equals.
A large
concern in the American healthcare system is that we are departing from a
system centered on quality care to one that prioritizes quantity or the number
of patients seen. As we continue our journeys into the medical field, it is
vital and inspiring to hear such messages from experienced health providers. As
we are exposed to patients through internships and eventually through our own
practices, we hope to become doctors that not only provide medical services,
but also ones that focus upon making our patients (or clients) feel comfortable
with us and their health. We can only imagine that such relationships will
increase the level of care an individual will receive. Moreover, it may impact
the individual’s willingness to disclose information to their doctor and
receive advice from their provider not only when it comes to medical practices,
but lifestyles habits as well. Thereby, health providers can become not only
tools for prevention of disease and illness, but also promoters of health and wellness.
With better relationships between providers and patients, it is more likely
that the patients will see their provider as an equal partner instead of a
superior dictating their health. This hypothesis provides similarities to the
democratic system in Danish healthcare where patients and providers work
together to provide a health plan based on the individual. We suggest that
within a health provider’s education and training, they participate in more
courses that promote patient communication skills. This demonstrates the
multidimensionality of healthcare.
