Importance of Bedside Manner towards Hospital Patients

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When people go to the hospital, most of them feel afraid, in pain and full of anxiety. They need the help of healthcare professionals to find out what is going on and whether they’re going to be okay, or dying of an exotic disease. When they come and speak to patients, patients want to be treated with respect. The last thing they need is to be treated with an unprofessional bedside manner from healthcare professionals who have no compassion or people skills.

Changes Need to Be Made for the Benefit of Hospital Patients

Sometimes in the medical field, there seems to be a general erosion of professionalism in the workplace. There is a concern that important bedside skills are disappearing with what is now seems to be a technology-focused practice in medicine.

Barry Silverman of Piedmont Heart Institute says, “Patients bring their fears and anxieties into the examination rooms and it is the doctor’s responsibility to calm their fears and provide hope.” The accomplished and experienced doctor has a bedside manner that is compassionate, empathetic and supportive. There needs to be core principles of professionalism, competency, social justice and a greater importance of patient welfare.

Sir William Osler in an interview article titled, Physicians Behavior and Bedside Manner, in the U.S. National Library of Medicine, stated, “The practice of medicine is an art based on science.”

Hospital Patients and the Hippocratic Oath

The Hippocratic Oath has many references to appropriate conduct and etiquette to how doctors and healthcare professionals should approach their patients. Having a good bedside manner is essential to medicine. A physician’s manners, dress, bearing and conduct are vital elements of patient care.

Some medical scholars and others will say that money has overshadowed how the patients should be treated. Some people have gone through incidents in a facility where they felt they were not treated right, or were given less than ideal care. There are now advocates in place to help protect rights in patients. There are also ways to file official complaints, in the event someone thinks he or she has not been treated fairly.

Morals and etiquette were not taught in the early days of medicine. However, after many years of treatment issues, there have been laws and regulations put in place to protect patients and healthcare facilities. The doctor/patient relationships have strong regulations and must keep confidential, along with all personal information.

You have heard of security issues at every angle from the IRS, to credit fraud, healthcare and professional doctors. The war to beat unfairness at so many different levels has been a fight for many for years. The treatment and bedside manners of doctors and healthcare professionals is being challenged and improved constantly in colleges. There are strong consequences for those who do not uphold the “Oath” and protect their patients and healthcare professionals can loose their practicing licenses permanently for violating the laws in medicine.

You are not alone, if you have worries about this profession. Rest assured that improvements are always being made and it is safer now than ever before because of enhanced protocol designed to protect patients, reduce malpractice cases, and earn referrals.