DoPatientsTrustDoctorsTooMuch?
Earlierthisyear,theAmericanCollegeofSurgeons,thenationalscientificandeducationalorganizationofsurgeons,conductedanationwidesurveythatfoundthattheaveragepatientdevotesanhourorlesstoresearchinghisorhersurgeryorlesstoresearchinghissurgeryorsurgeon.
Whileprospectivepatientsworryaboutthecostsorcomplicationsofanoperation,theydon''tnecessarilylookforinformationthatwouldaddresstheirconcerns.
Infact,morethanathirdofpatientswhohadanoperationinthelastfiveyearsneverreviewedthecredentialsofthesurgeonwhooperated.Patientsaremorelikelytospendtimeresearchingajobchange(onaverage,about10hours)oranewcar(8hours)thantheoperationtheyareabouttosubmittoorthesurgeonwhowieldstheknife.Andmanypatientsaresatisfiedwiththeanswerstheyreceivefromtheirsurgeonorprimarycaredoctor,whoeverthoseindividualshappentome.
Ifeltcuriousaboutthesurvey,soIcalledDr.ThomasRussell,executivedirectoroftheAmericanCollegeofSurgeons."Thereisatendencyforpatientsnottogetparticularlyinvolvedandnottofeelcompelledtolookintotheirsurgeryorsurgeons,"hetoldme.
Thereareconsequencestothatkindofblindtrust."Today,medicineandsurgeryarereallyteamsports,Dr.Russellcontinued,andthepatient,astheultimatedecisionmaker,isthemostimportantmemberoftheteam.Mistakescanhappinessandparentshavetobeeducatedandmustunderstandwhatisgoingon.
Inotherwords,ahealthydoctor-patientrelationdosenotsimplyentailgoodbedsidemannersandresponsibleofficemanagementonthedoctor.Italsorequiresthatpatientscometotherelationshipeducatedabouttheirdoctors，theirillnessandtheirtreatment.
"IfwearetrulygoingtoreformthehealthcaresystemintheU.S.,"Dr.
Russellsaid,"everybodyhastoparticipateactivelyandmusteducatethemselves.Thatmeansdoctors,nurses,otherhealthcareprofessional,lawyers,pharmaceuticalcompanies,andinsurancecompanies.Butmostofall,itmeansthepatient."
Trustisimportant.ButasSirFrancisBacon1,whowasamongthefirsttounderstandtheimportanceofgatheringdatainscience,onceobserved,knowledgeispower.
练习
1.Patientsdonotseemtospendenoughtime
Cresearchingtheirsurgeryorsurgeons.
2.Itappearsthatpatientsnowadayshave
Btoomuchtrustintheirdoctors
3.Themostimportantroleinmedicineandsurgeryshouldbeplayed
Dbypatients.
4.It''samistakenideathatahealthydoctor-patientrelationship
Cisdependentjustonthedoctor.
5.TheauthordoesNOTbelievein
Bblindtrust.
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