What personal and professional values should a good doctor display when interacting with staff and patients?

Personal and Professional Values of a Good Doctor

A good doctor should display eight core values when interacting with staff and patients: honesty and integrity, reliability and responsibility, respect for others, compassion/empathy, self-improvement, self-awareness of limits, communication and collaboration, and altruism and advocacy. 1

Core Professional Values

1. Honesty and Integrity

• Embody fairness and the ability to meet commitments
• Be intellectually honest and straightforward in all interactions
• Communicate errors in patient care transparently, including potential consequences 1
• Disclose potential conflicts of interest to patients 1

2. Reliability and Responsibility

• Demonstrate accountability to patients, families, colleagues, and society
• Accept responsibility for errors made, including willingness to acknowledge and discuss them 1
• Ensure continuous access to care through responsive on-call coverage and appropriate coverage during absences 1

3. Respect for Others

• Treat all persons with respect and regard for individual worth and dignity
• Show sensitivity to gender, race, and cultural differences
• Maintain patient confidentiality appropriately 1
• Hold confidential conversations in private settings 1
• Ask patients how they prefer to be addressed (nickname, Mr., Mrs.) 1

4. Compassion and Empathy

• Understand patients' and family members' reactions to pain, discomfort, and anxiety from their perspective 1
• Respond empathically when patients display emotion through verbal or nonverbal behavior 1
• Acknowledge and name emotions patients are experiencing 1
• Get to know patients as people, not just their medical conditions 1

5. Self-Improvement

• Commit to lifelong learning and education 1
• Continually incorporate new knowledge into practice 1
• Stay current with medical advances to provide optimal care

6. Self-Awareness and Knowledge of Limits

• Recognize when a problem involves knowledge or skills beyond your experience 1
• Ask for consultation or assistance in those situations 1
• Practice reflective skills to understand personal biases and limitations

7. Communication and Collaboration

• Work cooperatively with patients' families and healthcare team 1
• Communicate effectively to provide the best patient care 1
• Use simple language tailored to patients' educational level 1
• Check for understanding using "teach back" methods 1
• Introduce yourself and your role in the patient's care 1
• Make eye contact and maintain a calm demeanor 1

8. Altruism and Advocacy

• Place patient well-being as the primary motivating factor, ahead of personal interests 1
• Advocate for patients within the healthcare system 1
• Help reduce health disparities 2

Practical Applications with Staff and Patients

With Patients

• Treat patients as active partners in their care 1
• Provide information that is timely and oriented to patients' concerns 1
• Orient yourself to patients' understanding and concerns by asking what they know and want to know 1
• Avoid information overload by providing information in small doses 1
• Assure patients of your availability to answer future questions 1

With Staff and Colleagues

• Treat all healthcare professionals with integrity, honesty, and respect 1
• Raise concerns about colleagues directly with relevant parties instead of in front of patients or staff 1
• Respect the contributions of other healthcare professionals while acknowledging appropriate roles 1
• Incorporate input from colleagues into care plans to ensure effective, coordinated care 1
• Avoid verbal or physical abuse that undermines credibility and effectiveness 1

Bridging Perception Gaps

Research shows interesting differences in how physicians and patients perceive the attributes of a "good doctor":

• Physicians tend to emphasize humaneness and concern for patients 2
• The public often emphasizes professional and technical skills 2
• Internal medicine physicians are more likely than surgeons to emphasize humaneness, empathy, and professionalism 2

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Failing to acknowledge errors - Good doctors take responsibility for mistakes and discuss them openly with patients and colleagues 1

2. Using medical jargon - Avoid terminology that patients won't understand, and explain medical terms when necessary 1

3. Information overload - Providing too much information at once can overwhelm patients; instead, check for understanding frequently 1

4. Dismissing emotions - When patients are emotional, recognize that they may have difficulty absorbing information 1

5. Lack of boundaries - While compassion is essential, maintaining appropriate professional boundaries is necessary for sustainable practice 3

6. Neglecting team communication - Poor communication among healthcare team members can lead to fragmented care and medical errors 1

By embodying these core values, physicians can build trust with both patients and colleagues, leading to improved patient outcomes, satisfaction, and a more fulfilling professional experience.