Are physicians a mystery? To many of us, yes. Physicians perform one of the most valuable personal services in the world. They care for our bodies in the most intimate of ways. We place our lives in their hands and trust they have our best interest at heart. But how much do we really know of physicians and their inner world? Relatively little. The environment for practicing medicine has changed dramatically over the past few decades. The commoditizing of physicians and their work frequently causes a dehumanization of the doctor and the doctor/patient relationship not to mention the connections between physicians and other staff. Due to the training, practice culture, constraints, liabilities, and pressures placed on physicians today, they often cannot practice the kind of personalized, relationship-enhancing medicine that would benefit both patient and caregiver.
In this monograph, Dr. Herdley Paolini does a great service by opening the inner world of physicians and helping us understand them, how to relate to them, and how to best support them in the critical role in healthcare. Her insights will be of great value to everyone from hospital administrators and clinical staff, to insurance providers, government agencies, and anyone who interacts with physicians.