The Knee :: essays research papers

The KneeMost doctors agree that the dehumanization in the clinical mount can lead to the loss of a patient because of the lack of respect they are given. That is a great incentive for doctors to try to get to know their patients and sterilise them feel as comfortable as possible. When a patient attends a teaching hospital where aspiring doctors exam patients in groups, there is no genuine reward for them learning personal information about the patient. They leave alone move on to start their own practice and probably never see the patient again. However, just because the patients are at a teaching hospital does not make them any less important, so how can medical school programs leaven patient-physician relationships when the physician has nothing to gain?Morals and ethics would tell a doctor to respect their patients privacy and keep the examinations discrete. Ideally doctors will know all their patients by name, not disease, know a little bit about their private life and fin d a point of get across with each patient. When in large groups, doctors and medical students dont really have the opportunity to speak privately with the patients to get to know them, but should they default the patient all together and merely address the chief complaint? In Constance Meyds The Knee, all eyes are on the knee no one meets her eyes and she is viewed by the students and teacher as irrelevant (167). The womans embarrassment and helplessness are evident to the examiners, but they disregard her emotions as they continue the leg maneuvers. Common courtesy would tell the group to close the door and allow the patient to cover herself more adequately, but the author evince that the door was open the entire time.It is quite obvious that morals, ethics and common courtesy are not enough to encourage the respect of patients in the educational atmosphere, as is seen in the story. I believe it is the responsibility of the medical school to encourage their teachers to demonstra te ways to connect with patients rather than just teaching the image of health care. Teachers are supposed to be role models for students and if they are not taught to treat patients with respect, the only way they can learn that kind of skill is the stern way through the loss of patients because of their feelings of irrelevancy at the doctors office, or through the complaints of people who are unsatisfied with their quality of health care.