Skills of the healers
It’s recognized that doctors’ relationships with their patients can have healing effects, but the skills in this area of medical practice are understudied.
How does one recognize a “healer?”
The Annals of Internal Medicine has published the findings from interviews with 50 practitioners — both allopathic and complementary and alternative medicine — who were identified by their peers as “healers.”
Here are the 8 skills they have in common.
- Do the little things.
- Take time.
- Be open and listen.
- Find something to like, to love.
- Remove barriers.
- Let the patient explain.
- Share authority.
- Be committed.
The bottom line?
The authors concluded, “Mastery of these skills would provide enduring improvements in patient care and reaffirm medicine’s calling as a healing profession.”
I think most healthcare professionals, whether they verbalized it or not, held these goals when they first decided to enter the healing arts.
These aren’t things “healers” learn. Not really. For “healers,” they’re the foundation that education and learning simply build upon despite the stress and strain of day-to-day practice.
For the rest of us, they are goals we approximate throughout our careers.
How strong is your foundation?
11/17/08 22:02 JR
Dr Peter J. Stanton said:
on November 24, 2008 at 1:00 am
I don’t think so John. Most allopathic practitioners went into medicine for the social prestige and the money. I grew up with them. If this was not so, they would be in underserved areas or working for Doctors without borders. This is particularty true of foreign immigrant MDs who come from impoverished countries who are desperate for health care. It’s about the Benjamins. If you can find a good MD (or DC for that matter) who actually has compassion and clinical excellence, then you are a lucky patient. I keep a list of MDs in my office that I refer patients to for good care. I’ve been burned many times by health care providers who either don’t know much or don’t care. I went through this big time when we were seeking help for infertility some 10 yrs ago. Eventually we had a wonderful girl who is now 7 but what a gauntlet of morons we had to run to get there.
Mediocrity is the rule. Seek excellence.
PJS
JR said:
on November 24, 2008 at 8:22 pm
We don’t disagree. Like you said, “Most allopathic practitioners went into medicine for the social prestige and the money.”
The key word is “most.”
It was not my intent to denigrate healthcare professionals. The “healers” are a special minority of this group.
It’s like baseball. There are a lot of talented players on the field, but only a select few are hall of fame caliber.
JR