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11ALT0NH1LL80UTL00K December 12 Page IT Outlook Lifestyle DRGOTT Getting along with patients This is the final article in a scries of methods suggested by an imaginary business consultant to help a doctor manage bis office Tbe answers are meant to be whimsically jocular A quia designed to test pays clan selfassessment of doctor pa tlent relationships A physician can best establish a meaningful doctorpatient relation ship by- la maintaining a warm but profes sional manner being considerate and polite openly commenting on the pa tlent physical problems frequently kidding and teasing patie ANSWERS a Incorrect This attitude may be Interpreted as aloofness by all but the most experienced patient The barri that 13 thereby estabUihed inter feres with a proper therapeutic tionshlp The physician of today must be careful to avoid providing a father image because of seriously unrealis tic expectations that stem from the classic father son conflict The thorlty Figure physician paternal and all knowing more prop erly to the world of academic medicine Incorrect These qualities arc signs weakness No self respecting patient expects his doctor to be cor dial unless they are together playing social games at the country club after office hours In addition the average physician is too busy filling out ance forms to be polite Many doctors have chosen to place the responslbil on the patient by posting in the of lice signs that read Your consider and politeness will be appreciated Other doctors have reminded their patients by making the following statement which has been approved by the American Medical Judicial Committee- This statement first used nationally by the Association of City Hospital Employees Local of Teamsters International is most fective if snarled at patient with a terminal disease who wishes to reml nlsce about the good old days The stresses of medical office practice re quire that the patient be considerate and polite to the doctor not vice- versa Correct All experienced healers know the tremendous benefits result from verbalization of patients problems You re the fattest woman I ve seen In years or You can even walk straight with that arthri are common Tbe technique is especially useful with ad patients who are very sens tlve to constructive criticism Hey man that lit on your forehead looks Uke a third eye or Gee your penis is small This sort of straight sets stage for dose doctor patient cooperation Correct Humor has its place in office practice by indicating to the pa that the doctor is basically a real man or woman Just before taking the Pap test a prosperous gynecologist roulinely peers down between the stirrups and exclaims to his patients Say Ah This fun filled comment invariably breaks the Ice Another wisecrack is appropriate or the el Well Herb I certainly never thought see you alive for another year Younger patients will always re spond o remarks like I guess you re knocked up again Gladys or You can bet that getting rid of the clap El I wood mil be almost as much fun as getting it Sick people appreciate good Jocularity particularly it it can be overheard by patients in other examining rooms Finally patients must always be addressed by first names preferably he wrong ones know that the doctor cares enough to establish a first name basis a wrong first name reinforces the image of the physician as a harried but kindly per son always eager to establish a good relationship and collect patients Send your questions to Dr Gott in care of this newspaper at Box Cleveland OH Due to volume of mall individual tions cannot be answered MAR MEG Tradition must bow to independence DEAR MEG Last June our son met a lovely young woman He is quite serious about her We re delight because Fred Is and has never been in love We were beginning to think he never get married But now he says he won t be spend ing Christmas with us We re very dis appointed because Christmas is the one time In the year when the whole family gets together The children and their families Come from Mich gan California and London and we Have a truly old fashioned Christmas Our feelings are hurt because Fred wont be with us He always plays Santa and his nieces and nephews will miss him He not married to his girlfriend so we think he should be with us TRADITION BOUND BUFFALO NY DEAR TRADITION The point isn whether Fred is married or not Its that he an adult and Is making decisions lhat meet his needs Tradition or not his ho lets don have to suit you or the family The clan will gather whether he there or not Dress somebody else up like San ta and enjoy yourselves Maybe next year you celebrate with a new member of the family DEAR MEG My friend is She has a job that pays well but she prefers to live at home with her parents She never had a date in her life and doesn t talk to men unless it s absolutely necessary like at work When we talk Anita says she has a very full fantasy life She likes to about celebrities Right now she has a crush on Michael Douglas Last year it was Don Johnson Maybe she does this because the guys made fun of her in school But that was years ago I known since third grade and 1 worried about her Is this lasy life of hers OK A FRIEND COVINA CALIF DEAR FRIEND Probably not A fantasy life is tine as long as Interfere with the real thing At 31 Anita a teenage crushes on movie and TV stars are at best a sign of ex Immaturity Her excessive fear of men on her parents and lack of a normal social life could signal an In creasing Inability to relate to others She would benefit from a psychiatric appraisal REGULAR TIME CLEAN SILVER POLISHING CLOSETS CUPBOARDS LAUNDRY WINDOWS ETC REFERENCES We Tirlor Our Services To Suit Your Needi 724 CLIP and SAVE SELECTOR IK Kris Trays SOCIAL CATERING It