God has given us beautiful body to enjoy all the pleasures of life available here in this universe. We owe the duty to maintain it well. Though He has developed perfect immune system to keep us safe from the onslaught of various diseases, we get ill many times due to our own faults. Sometime, we do not care for our meals – we compromise on the quality, timing and quantity. We undertake undue mental stress, physical working or laziness. We get ill by exposing ourselves to unfavourable climates and circumstances too. When we get ill, we feel pain, fever and many other developments in our body to result in lesser productivity in our working.
For getting early recovery, we tend to have some domestic treatment or some expertise to diagnose our illness. For temporary diseases which affect us a little, we take domestic cures but when they do not get settled early, we need expertise to handle them. In medical treatments, we call our doctors to diagnose our diseases and prescribe the medicines, exercise and other treatment whatever they think appropriate for us. Here, we need to keep faith in them and disclose everything so that they are able to diagnose and prescribe the right treatment.
It is necessary that we should have our disclosures to our doctors and faith in them because we know that they have been serving our needs for thousands of years. Hippocrates is the “father of medicine” due to his actual and intellectual contributions to the theory and practice of medicine. His achievements led to the Hippocratic Oath, which is still used today as the basis for their responsibilities:
“I swear…I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone. I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; xxxx
But I will preserve the purity of my life and my arts. I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art. In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional ill-doing and all seduction and especially from the pleasures of love with women or with men, be they free or slaves. All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and will never reveal. If I keep this oath faithfully, may I enjoy my life and practice my art, respected by all men and in all times; but if I swerve from it or violate it, may the reverse be my lot”.
We understand that modern Doctor’s responsibilities include those imposed by their licensure, their malpractice insurance and guidelines established by their place of business. The responsibility of a Doctor is to provide compassionate, ethical and proper treatment for the patients.
We also understand that the relationship between a patient and the Doctor is predicated on trust. Our medical records cannot be shared with anyone without our express authorization unless ordered by a judicial court.
We know that a qualified Doctor is able to hear everything what we say without judgment and he/she is able to dispense medical advice, medical recommendations and medical care without dispensing personal judgment or attacks on us.
We are sure that in cases of suspected abuse (child or spousal), the Doctor will send the patient to the emergency room where skilled social workers may evaluate the problem. A Doctor will, on a case-by-case basis, notice certain patterns indicating abuse and may report the abuse to Child Protective Services for investigation.
We feel that it is the responsibility of every Doctor to be competent in their chosen specialty. New reports and studies are published every month. Doctors stay current in their medical knowledge with regard to the care and treatment of medical conditions.
We believe that Doctors subscribe to medical journals for the latest findings with regard to prescription medications, allergic reactions and treatment suggestions. Doctors no longer prescribe antibiotics to prevent secondary infections if no secondary infection is present, in large part because of many infections are now resistant to antibiotics due to their over-prescription. Without staying current, a Doctor will continue to prescribe unnecessary medications.
We further believe that all patients are treated equally without bias for age, race, gender, religious or political affiliation. A Doctor’s responsibility is to the patient, not anyone else. They also work on their interpersonal skills in order to avoid appearing abrupt, rude or condescending. A Doctor always tries to get his/her communication skills developed so that he/she is able to better listen to the patients and deliver the advice and medical expertise in a better manner.
We commonly understand that our Doctors are able to treat their patient’s emotions and opinions seriously. They are sensitive and respect their patient’s beliefs and fears. A Doctor would never withhold information or resort to highly technical jargon that we cannot understand.
We believe that our Doctors are all god-like but they do not introduce this understanding in their attitudes to make them unapproachable. Our physician is our partner and confidante. While our Doctor maintains boundaries, including no flirting, harassment or unethical behaviour, he is our trusted advisor. Actually, this relationship is facilitated by the doctor who will discuss a patient’s options, disclosing benefits and costs and helping the patient to understand exactly what course of treatment they are choosing for themselves. He/she never makes the choice for the patient without their informed consent. Physicians also work with each other, whether the patient is seeking a second opinion or being referred to a specialist.
We understand a physician’s responsibilities and the benefits he provides to his patients. By providing educated, compassionate and respectful medical care in an atmosphere that promises confidentiality and informed consent, the physician treats his patients more effectively.
Since the prime object of the medical profession is to render service to humanity; reward or financial gain is a subordinate consideration, we understand that who- so-ever chooses this profession, he/she assumes the obligation to conduct himself/herself in accordance with its ideals. We understand that our doctor is an upright person, instructed in the art of healings. He/she keeps himself/herself pure in character and diligent in caring for the sick; he/she remains modest, sober, patient, prompt in discharging his/her duty without anxiety; conducting himself/herself with propriety in his/her profession and in all the actions of his/her life.
The Principal objective of the medical profession is to render service to humanity with full respect for the dignity of profession and man. They merit the confidence of patients entrusted to their care, rendering to each a full measure of service and devotion. They try continuously to improve medical knowledge and skills and make available to their patients and colleagues the benefits of their professional attainments. They practice methods of healing founded on scientific basis and do not associate professionally with anyone who violates this principle. Since the honored ideals of the medical profession imply that the responsibilities of the physician extend not only to individuals but also to society, we must cooperate them to exercise their responsibility sincerely to all of us. If we keep faith in our Doctor, we can recover soon and would be happy again.
Be Happy – Keep Faith In Your Doctor.