A Pleasant Doctor Is More Effective

Dr. House did a lot of damage. He made it seem that, in medicine, the most important thing is knowledge and even a certain reckless audacity. It is paradoxical, but the patient, the person, often seems a hindrance to the doctor and he does not see it necessary to behave humanely.

Against this trend, many people feel that the attitude and character of the doctor are important. A scientific study proves them right. The way the doctor treats his patients has a real effect on health.

The attitude of the doctor is reflected in the effectiveness of the treatment

When the professional knows how to get along with the patient, establishing a good personal relationship, better results are obtained in the treatment of pain, hypertension or overweight.

This is the conclusion of Alan Christensen, professor of psychology at the University of Iowa (United States), who has reviewed 13 studies on doctor-patient relationships.

Researcher Helen Riess, who runs a program in “empathy and relational sciences” at Massachusetts General Hospital and was involved in the study, explains that studies were chosen that obtained objective data, such as changes in blood pressure, rather than experiences. subjective, such as patient satisfaction.

Listen, be warm and empathetic

In each of the studies, health professionals were trained to make changes in the way they relate to patients, such as maintaining eye contact, listening without interrupting, and creating “warmth” and empathy.

Obese and diabetic patients tended to lose more weight, arthritis patients reported less pain, and hypertensive patients reduced their numbers.

As effective as a pill

The magnitude of benefits was similar to that seen in studies of commonly prescribed drugs.

Therefore, the way a doctor behaves should be part of the treatment protocols. It would represent an improvement in care and results without economic cost.