What are your thoughts about being treated with "dignity and respect?"
Posted By: Cary Bynum 
Date Posted: November 22nd, 2009 Category: Being a Patient
Consumer research on patient/doctor relationships ALWAYS addresses the importance for being treated with dignity and respect. It’s obviously very important to people that they are treated with dignity and respect…but what does that mean? Anybody got examples or personal definitions of what it means to be treated by your doctor (or any health care provider) with dignity and respect? And what steps do you take when you feel that you are not?
Comment By: james christeck
Date & Time: November 23, 2009 at 7:35 am
To me, dignity and respect both come back to the fact that a patient needs to know that he/she is dealing with Professionals, and example of which is in starting an I.V. This should be done by the people who work with veins on an hour to hour, day by day basis, not someone who is on a "fishing expedition" and if they are not sucessful will go find a workmate who will also go on a fishing expedition. Give the job to a professional to begin with and thereby give the patient the dignity he deserves right from the start. Thank you and Thank you for the blog line.
Comment By: Cary Bynum
Date & Time: November 23, 2009 at 9:09 am
James, this is the second time you've mentioned I.V.s, specifically. Not trying to be nosy but has this been a sore spot? (No pun intended…I promise.)
Comment By: james christeck
Date & Time: November 23, 2009 at 12:52 pm
To: I.V. Bynum, I think there are more efficient ways of admitting people to the Hospital particularly if they did'nt come through the E.R. that is to say, when they arrive, weight them, obtain their Vitals, draw their basic Blood panel, and start the I.V. as well as get their medical History all at the same time at a "check in" Station. If we plan to cut costs, then processes have to be looked at differently. To revert back to my analogy with how Automobile Manufacturing evolved, imagine if only Mr. Smith could put the front fender on a Ford. What happens when Mr. Smith goes on vacation or himself gets sick, do we just ship the Fords out without a front fender? The same rule applies to Nurses who may be good at starting I.V.'s. The process could be improved by having it done by the blood drawers who specialize in their work. It is heartbreaking to see elderly patients whose arms are literally pools of blood when it all could have been avoided.
Comment By: Cary Bynum
Date & Time: November 23, 2009 at 12:56 pm
James, that's really insightful. never thought about it from that perspective.
Comment By: Rebekah
Date & Time: November 23, 2009 at 4:05 pm
I think that being made an active partner in your own care is a large part of being treated with dignity and respect. It's empowering to have your care team explain everything they do and why, and ask for your advice when there is a choice to be made. I obviously respect the advice of my doctor and his professional opinion about risks and benefits of different treatments, but he always makes sure that the choice is MINE when all is said and done.
That's nice.
Comment By: Cary Bynum
Date & Time: November 24, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Well put, Rebekah. And interestingly enough, every patient survey I've seen in the last 10 years states clearly that patients are begging for better communication with their caregivers…and equate the quality of that communication with whether they are being treated with dignity.
Comment By: Eric Schnelten
Date & Time: November 29, 2009 at 11:02 am
Being treated with dignity and respect are as equally important as and go hand-in-hand with receiving the absolute best health care. I know that each and every one of my patients has this equal right and I do my best to insure that. I believe that by doing this, I win respect (and gain trust) from my patients. In turn, I'm able to pass it all on to the next patient, co-worker, or family member that crosses my path.
So my thoughts are that if we all treat each other with dignity and respect today, one day the world will be a better place.
Comment By: Debbie Poole
Date & Time: January 13, 2010 at 11:46 pm
All are worded very well and I agree, especially the comment 'treat each other with dignity and respect today, one day the world will be a better place' SO True.