The Most Therapeutic Force

Although I have thought of many of the points that Kirsner makes in this article, II know that I’ve never been able to put them so eloquently. I appreciate the honest and realistic approach that he used to examine the tough balance that exists between the art and science of medicine.

At one point he describes the relationship as “personal interaction that transcends ethnic, sociocultural, and economic differences, generating trust and responsibility.” I appreciate this definition of the patient-physician relationship immensely. There is a huge importance today in being able to relate to patients on a level that is beyond a scientific discussion of a disease. It is very important to be able to build a sense of trust and understand with a patient in order to care for them, especially in patients with chronic diseases.

It is true that the times have changed. There is emphasis on new techniques and tests and adding new technologies to the toolbox. One thing not discussed in the article that I thought of while reading was the idea of telemedicine. There was an article once that I read a couple of years ago about how a prison in Texas was using remote sites across the state. Inmates were driven to the remote site equipped with the proper testing instruments, a small lab, and a nurse. A physician located at a central site would then use video and audio to direct the nurse in her procedures. The test results would be studied and any necessary treatment was ordered by the physician and carried out by the nurse. While there is a necessity in this case with dangerous transport of the inmate and far distances to travel, there seems to be a loss of interaction. When I studied the process, I thought it might be a step medicine could take, but then I realized how poor the interaction is between the patient and doctor. I quickly decided that there needs to be human contact in order to put the patient at ease and allow the physician to gather information that can only be obtained through hands on patient interactions.

At the end of the article, I was glad that Kirsner pointed out that even though there is a need for good patient-physician interaction, all of the good intentions can’t be substituted for good skills. Physicians should be able to use the tools and knowledge they have to make timely and accurate diagnoses. This is where I know the balance will get tough. It is hard to have to know massive amounts of information and still have to focus on a quality conversation with each and every patient. The complex relationship that is formed is one that will be difficult, yet necessary if I hope to be a good physician for my future patients.