Physicians, patients, and society
Article Abstract:
Many of the technological advances in medicine afford physicians greater opportunities than ever to deliver quality health care on a personal level to their patients. Few physicians recognize the impact that their practices have on society, and some would argue that physicians must include societal needs in their practice of medicine. Some far-reaching health care issues that physicians should consider include the fact that how doctors choose to practice medicine determines how much of the money spent on health care is disbursed, and that physicians' career choices have led to an abundance of specialists and suburban doctors, with few generalists, especially in rural or urban areas. Duplication of services is often caused by the doctors in a given community, and a lack of leadership within medical communities leads to fragmentation of services. Further, doctors must recognize the societal impact of their use of technology, and the fact that there are inequities in access to health care, as well as the fact that the nation's health needs are evolving, responding to such illnesses as AIDS and drug and alcohol abuse. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Annals of Internal Medicine
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0003-4819
Year: 1991
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Prevalence and sources of patients' unmet expectations for care
Article Abstract:
It appears that doctors could better meet their patients' expectations by improving several elements of the office visit. Of 688 patients polled at three internal medicine practices, 88 were contacted regarding their reported dissatisfaction with their office visit. Aspects of the office visit that did not meet their expectations included the physical exam, tests performed, the history taken, and referrals to a specialist. Factors that influenced their expectations included personal or family experience with their condition, knowledge from a variety of sources about their condition, and perceived significance of their symptoms.
Publication Name: Annals of Internal Medicine
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0003-4819
Year: 1996
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
The bet
Article Abstract:
Doctors may need to continue to persist with noncompliant patients who have life-threatening conditions. A doctor recounts his experience with an emergency room patient who had a probable heart attack but who wanted to leave the hospital anyhow. The doctor tried to talk the patient into staying, with no success. Only after the doctor's resident told him he lost a bet that the doctor could convince the patient did the doctor pull out all the stops to persuade the patient to stay. The patient agreed, and was later found to have had a heart attack.
Publication Name: Annals of Internal Medicine
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0003-4819
Year: 1996
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
- Abstracts: Profile. Perceptions of patients' smiles. Computer imaging: its practical application
- Abstracts: Helicobacter pylori and peptic ulcer disease. Therapy for bleeding peptic ulcers. The Helicobacter pylori genome - new insights into pathogenesis and therapeutics
- Abstracts: Management of retained placenta by umbilical vein injection. Management of the pregnant woman with spinal cord injuries
- Abstracts: The Physicians Who Care plan: preserving quality and equitability in American medicine. Recombinant erythropoietin and Medicare payment
- Abstracts: Fetal death associated with measles virus infection of the placenta. Failure of decidual arteriolar remodeling in the CBA/J X DBA/2 murine model of recurrent pregnancy loss is linked to increased expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP-2)