|
Medical practitioners are highly respected for their noble spirit in saving lives, as well as giving hope and bringing joy to the patients and their families when a life is saved. Although they cannot play the role of God but they certainly have the medical knowledge and skills to treat medical conditions.
Most people equate a 'good and competent' doctor with the ability to give the right treatment that yields positive result. If the treatment is successful, no matter how indifferent, arrogant and abrupt the doctor may have been, he is regarded as 'the best'. Patients and their families are more than willing to pay for the most expensive consultation and treatment and will flock to doctors who have been able to cure some of their patients of cancer. The hidden truth is that every patient's lifestyle, diet, attitude and cancer are unique and each patient survives cancer in his own unique way. On the other hand, if the treatment does not work, no matter how friendly and attentive the doctor may have been, he is seen as a failure.
Cancer is a difficult illness and patients need the right doctor and the right treatment to increase their chances of surviving cancer. In the face of a life-threatening illness, patients want to be cared for as much as they want to be cured. Undoubtedly, doctors are still human beings who behave according to their attitudes, mindsets, philosophies and goals in life. However if only they are willing to make an effort to meet their patients' expectations, they will be the key to conquering cancer. They are the 'scorer' helping patients to achieve goals.
| S |
S equates to Being Sensitive :
Most experienced doctors recognize that modern science is limited in dealing with human being's feelings. It is important for doctors to recognize their patient as a person with a name, not as someone defined by his illness or case number. No patient likes to be labelled or called 'CA case 1' or any other medical jargon of convenience. To most people, losing one's hair to chemotherapy and radiation treatment can be traumatizing and doctors should be sensitive when giving words of consolation. Some doctors bluntly challenged their patients on whether they consider their lives more important than their crowning glory.
|
| C |
C equates to Being Compassionate :
If only doctors can go beyond their defined medical duties to show compassion, concern, care and to spend time learning more about the patient's medical condition and understanding his inner feelings, they will remain objective and perform every procedure with the utmost care and precision. Words should be spoken and communicated carefully and tactfully without provoking patient's emotions and hurting them unnecessarily.
|
| O |
O equates to Being Open-Minded :
No doctor, no matter how dedicated, can possibly keep up on every promising new development for every type of cancer. With the advent of the Internet and increasing exposure to Information Technology, pro-active patients will research on their type of cancer and would share their research findings with their doctors. Patients are able to recognize signs, symptoms and imbalances within their bodies. Therefore doctors must be open-minded enough to learn from patients and not dismiss patients' complaints lightly. They must allow patients to participate in the management of their illness. Only when both the doctors and patients are in a state of harmony, will the illness not linger or become terminal.
|
| R |
R equates to Being Responsible :
Cancer patients are the most vulnerable and are more than willing to try anything and everything that has the slightest chance of curing cancer. Doctors should be truthful and provide the most suitable and cost-effective treatment and not withhold information from their patients. Showing good bedside manners and communicating effectively will alleviate the feelings of helplessness and hopelessness among patients and their families. All possible side effects and complications even those with a slight chance of occurring should be made known to the patients. A sharp-eyed doctor can certainly detect early symptoms and tackle it immediately before it is too late for treatment.
|
| E |
E equates to Show Empathy :
Doctors are seeing far too many cancer patients everyday and performing routine procedures that are their daily bread and butter. Very often, cancer patients are seen as 'mass products' but the fact is that cancer patients are human beings with lives. They can be old, young, poor, rich, people with high social status or ordinary folks, but they are definitely someone special and dear to their families. If only doctors are able to show love for mankind unconditionally, they will treat patients as their loved ones and give them the best management wherever possible. When a person is struck with cancer, his/her first instinct is to look for the best doctor without thinking of cost. A premium price is a norm that is beyond the reach of most patients. If only doctors believe in reaping what they sow and are motivated by love for mankind, they will then save more lives of ordinary folks. All lives are equal and therefore deserve to be loved and respected equally.
|
| R |
R equates to Being Respectful :
Doctors are respectable people because of their profession. In return they should also earn others' respect by showing good work attitude and respect for their fellowmen. Bearing in mind that cancer patients have the choice to decide what is the best course of treatment, they need not follow the doctor's recommendation in some instances. If this happens, the doctors should not feel offended but should respect and accept the patient's decision. He knows what is best for himself. If patients need a second opinion, doctors should not feel offended.
|
|
w.e.f. 1 Jan 2023.