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The Straits Times Forum
July 20 2015
Singapore’s medical profession is acknowledged as amongst the world’s best. To move up another notch, being at the cutting-edge of medicinal technology is not sufficient. The quality of engagement between doctors and patients, and vice versa must change.
When it comes to medical expertise, doctors obviously know more than the average lay-person. What needs to change is doctors’ mind-set that they know everything. This can, and has led to doctors to be arrogant. More patients should do their own research so as to be able to have an informed 2-way conversation with their doctors.
Patients have the right to expect, and even demand an increase in the amount and quality of consultation engagement time.
Doctors and patients must communicate with each other more effectively. Many patients do not know what they don’t know, and sometimes (the lack of) language fluency can get in the way. Hence, asking the ‘right’ questions can be daunting. Doctors typically tell patients what they feel is best for them – ‘parent-to-child’ like. Efforts must be made to shift this approach to an ‘adult-to-adult’ conversation with their patients, and accord them the respect to make decisions on their own. Advice and/or recommendations can be dispensed when specifically requested or when patients are evidently unable to make their own decisions.
I believe all graduating medical students have to recite a Singapore Medical Council pledge. This is the easy part – the challenging part comes thereafter, living it. Let’s face it – not all doctors qualify as ‘good doctors’. This is something that medical schools cannot teach. It has got to do with personal values, motivation and moral character. Good doctors will apply their medical expertise with genuine, sincere care & concern and a huge dose of humanity.
There are many factors that distinguish the good doctors from the rest. Being at the cutting edge of medicinal technology may not be good enough. The ideal situation is when doctors have a keen sense of self-awareness that their chosen profession has accorded them a moral obligation to make a difference to the well-being of their patients. This mind set will guide them to do the ‘right’ things and bring them a step closer to being a better doctor.
The “heart-ware’ part of our medical profession needs to move a couple of notches up, and both doctors and patients can make that happen.
Paul Heng
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