Last week’s article reading, Good Patients and Problem Patients: Conformity and Deviance in a General Hospital, by Judith Lorber, really caught my attention. I am sure many of us have heard stories from friends or family on the way doctors treat them, such as how nice they are, f they pay attention to them, how long they spend with them and how well they’re being treated. We don’t really see the other side, if we have opinions on doctors, they must have them as well and this article highlights that.
When I read that doctors preferred technique of treating a patient was treatment as a non-person that baffled me, after all no matter what the patient is an actual person. I understand that doctors are busy, they have many patients but for many people going to the doctor is scary, many don’t know what is happening to them and they have many questions, the least they want is a doctor treating them like an object and ignoring them. Yet many doctors label these patients as problem patients, the ones that ask too many questions, complained, demanded, and were uncooperative. Some of these reasons I might understand as not being the best such as demanding and not cooperating but complaining and asking questions to me seems like a person needs to do at the hospital. It said in the article that sometimes doctors don’t explain everything toughly because they don’t want the patient to know too much and as a lot of questions. This is questionable, if I was at the hospital, I would like to know what is happening to me. Those patients that received more attention were less likely than complain than the patients that were ignored. This of course also makes sense since they are there to be treated and understood not ignored.
This article made me think a lot about the different viewpoint in the hospital between doctors and patients. I think being at the doctors shouldn’t just be about treating the body sickness but also be able to fully understand what is happening and being able to communicate clearly with your doctor about any concerns without the doctor labeling the patient as problematic. When you read the article, what stood out the most to you?
Alejandra's Blog 
Greetings Alejandra,
I liked that you mention that we often do not get to see or understand the attitudes of the medical staff but in the article it allows the readers insight to another perspective. I agree with the highlights you mention, some of the findings were kind of disturbing to read, but it is important to understand the problems that patients that get discriminated against deal with. What stood out for me from the article is the part where they mention patients in pain, suffering in silence because they do not want to be a bothersome to the medical staff. They do not want to appear as complaining and disruptive therefore do not inform their medical providers that pain and discomfort they are in. I think that the socialization that medical professionals receive can sometimes conflict with the needs of patients, in particular those that don’t quite understand hospital etiquette or have a hard time adapting to the way things are done in a hospital setting.
-Alma B
LikeLike
Hi Alejandra,
I have also thought it was strange that doctors saw patients as non persons.
I like that you pointed out that doctors and patients should be able to communicate effectively without the patient being labeled as problematic.
I agree that being uncooperative and demanding too much attention may be problematic but complaints and wanted to know more about their condition are valid concerns.
I wonder how can we change doctors’ mindset of viewing patients as non persons but still make sure there is a level of professionalism and have closeness between doctor and patients at a limit?
Sincerely,
Vân Nguyen
LikeLike