Question

Listen to the TED Talk by Dr. Abraham Vorghese about the doctor / patient relationship. In what ways has the doctor / patient relationship changed in the last 50 years? What strategies has Dr. Vorghese applied in his own practice to maintain a relationship of trust between him and his patients?

Answer 1

Dr.Abraham Varghese has stressed the importance of doctor patient relationship. In earlier days the physician made their diagnosis by physical examination (touch,percussion, auscultation,palpation) without any costly sophisticated diagnostic tools to detect a diseases. Even the most complicated final confirmatory diagnosis if cancer were made by physical examination (e.g., a man presented to physician with drooping left eye and a history of smoking ,the physician confirmed the case as Horner's syndrome, to identify a tumor at the apex of the lung with no diagnostic tool).Over the 50 years due to technological advancement the patient visits happens in front of a screen where all this misses out leading to hectic price for diagnosing a disease condition.The ritual of physician -patient relationship is lost.

Dr.Varghese made sure his practice has a patient physician relationship with touch,percussion, auscultaion,palpation for diagnosis first this can creates a trust in patient that the physician really cares for them and can be believed for getting a treatment.