Put yourself in the patient’s shoes

I was very pleased to read the article by Sarita Agrawal (1). I am glad that articulate patients like her are finally making their voice heard.

Sometimes doctors forget that the centre of the medical universe should be the patient – and not the doctor. Such articles, which describe the patient’s viewpoint, can help doctors to become more empathetic and caring. After all, putting yourself in the patient’s shoes can only improve your perspective for the better. Patients in the West are becoming increasingly vocal, and are letting their doctors know what they want, and since they can speak with their wallets, their voices carry a lot of clout. This is all for the best. The ultimate aim of the doctor is to help the patient.

Industries all over the world are becoming more consumer-responsive: the customer is king. While the medical profession is the ultimate service industry, unfortunately in India, doctors have lagged behind in putting the patient’s interests first. It is all too common to see doctors being rude or arrogant; and many routinely make patients and their relatives wait endlessly. Such rudeness would be unpardonable in any other sector, so why do Indian patients allow doctors to get away with it? The raison d’etre for a doctor is his patients, and if patients refuse to put up with bad behaviour, the entire medical profession will, one hopes, improve.

Unfortunately, medical students have few role models they can emulate. The tragedy is that we need to be told to pull up our socks by our patients. I do hope doctors will improve. Remember the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.