Background: The doctor-patient relationship has been recognized throughout the history of medicine and its importance was emphasized in the delivery of healthcare services and health outcomes. One of the major roles of empathy is changing a pathologic mind’s configuration, and the establishment of a linkage between a doctor and patient is a crucial element of a strong therapeutic alliance and health outcome. This is an element to gain trust and comprehension to sustain a good communication and to eliminate burden for both the doctor and the patient. Objective: To determine the empathy scores of Physicians of Region 1 Medical Center (R1MC) Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) towards patients. Methods: This was a purely descriptive study thru survey of DFCM physicians conducted among patients catered at the DFCM OPD of R1MC. Result: In this study, the authors had a total 614 respondent from the six different districts in Pangasinan. All of them were able to answer the questionnaire based on Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) model which was utilized in this study in assessing the empathy score of Family and Community Medicine Department Physicians in Region I Medical Center. The overall mean CARE Measure score was 48.77 (SD 3.38) and 77.2% achieved the maximum possible score of 50. Conclusion Based on the findings and analysis of the data gathered in this research study using CARE Measure, we therefore concluded that physicians from the Department of Family and Community Medicine of Region I Medical Center showed great empathy towards patients as based on the empathy score of excellent.
Physician-Patient Relations

This paper propounds two main theses. First, it asserts that the boundaries of the doctor-patient relationship are not clearly delineated, but they are clarified by the clarified contexts in which they are formed. Second, there is a need to formulate a set of guidelines that are flexible enough to accommodate ambiguous situations and yet definitive enough to define the limits of the interaction between the doctor and the patient. In order to advance the aforementioned theses, this paper will clarify what boundary transgressions are, how they come about, and how they could avoided.
Human ; PROFESSIONAL-PATIENT RELATIONS ; PHYSICIAN-PATIENT RELATIONS

No abstract available.
Humans ; Physician-Patient Relations ; Communication

Medicine is a science studying human's health and diseases as well as the regularity between them. Its research subject is human, who possess natural attribute, psychological attribute and social attribute. Therefore, medicine is bound to possess humanistic attribute. Rooted in Chinese traditional culture, Traditional Chinese Medicine contains abundant humanistic thoughts, for instance, pursuing the unity of human and nature, advocating the vital importance of life, sticking to the virtue of "medicine being humane art", abiding by the principle of "Benevolence prior to interest", complying with the medical rule of "Respecting peers". These are the very concrete reflections of medical humanistic spirit. In this article we aim to explore the humanistic thoughts contained in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and try to inherit and carry forward the spirit to better relieve the tensions between doctors and patients and improve the quality of medical services.
Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Physician-Patient Relations

PURPOSE: Empathy is an important trait of a physician and a key element in the physician-patient relationship. This study evaluated the ability to express empathy in medical students. METHODS: Medical student empathy was measured by the modified Pencil-and-Paper Empathy Rating Test of Winefield and Chur-Hansen. The subjects comprised 110 medical students. The data were analyzed by descriptive analysis and t-test using SPSS version 21.0 (IBM Corp.). RESULTS: Empathy rating test scores were low-level in medical students (mean, 12.59). There were no differences in the level of ability to express empathy between genders (t=-1.714, p=0.089). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that practical training in expressing empathy should be included in medical education and that an empathy training program must be focused on changes in behavior.
Education ; Education, Medical ; Empathy* ; Humans ; Physician-Patient Relations ; Students, Medical*

China ; Dissent and Disputes ; Humans ; Negotiating ; Physician-Patient Relations

Background: Anti-diabetic medications are integral for glycemic control in diabetes. Non-adherence to drugs can alter blood glucose levels, resulting in complications. Adherence to anti-diabetic medications reported by patients and the factors associated with medication adherence among adult patients with diabetes mellitus were explored. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among patients with type II diabetes mellitus attending the Internal Medicine Department of a hospital in the United Arab Emirates. Consecutive patients were selected, and data regarding their medication adherence were collected using a questionnaire. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS-20. The chi-square test was performed to examine the associations between categorical variables; a two-sided P Value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 132 patients participated in the study (63 males; 69 females). The mean age (standard deviation) of the respondents was 54 years (SD 10.2). The self-reported adherence rate to anti-diabetic drugs was 84%. The most common reason for non-adherence was forgetfulness, and the adherence rate was similar in both genders. Patients with Bachelor’s and Master’s degree reported greater adherence rate to anti-diabetic medication in comparison to the secondary school educated. Conclusion: The self-reported adherence rate to anti-diabetic medications was 84%, and forgetfulness was the most common reason for non-adherence. Future studies on strategies to improve adherence rate should be considered.
Hypoglycemic Agents ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Physician-Patient Relations ; Compliance

The National Telehealth Service Program aims to address the inequity in health, and to utilize the advancements in information and communication technology to improve health outcomes in the country, primarily through telemedicine. There are no laws that directly govern the practice of telemedicine but the implementation of the National Telehealth Service Program has legal implications. The Round Table discussions were effective in identifying key issues such as the nature of the practice of telemedicine, liability issues for stakeholders, and the privacy concerns in Telehealth. Based on an analysis of these issues in the context of relevant laws and jurisprudence, it is established that those who practice telemedicine will have a duty to exercise diligence in managing patients or providing specialty advice. The standard of care for physicians practicing telemedicine should take into consideration the limitations of technology and the inherent differences between telemedicine and face-to- face doctor-patient consultations.

The National Telehealth Center has a responsibility to put in place internal policies and procedures that would improve the delivery of health services through telemedicine while safeguarding the patient's right to privacy. Current laws, particularly the Data Privacy Act of 2012, puts emphasis on obtaining patient's consent and requires putting in place organizational, physical and technical security measures in the collection and processing of personal and sensitive information.

Communication ; Humans ; Language ; Physician-Patient Relations ; Psychiatry ; education ; methods

To investigate the cognitive ability and coping strategy to mental disorders among medical workers in ear-nose-throat departments and its impact on doctor-patient relationship.
 Methods: A total of 78 medical workers (including doctors, nurses, and technicians) in ear-nose-throat departments from 10 general hospitals in Hunan Province were investigated by self-compiled questionnaire on the perspective and coping strategy to mental disorders among medical workers.
 Results: Mental disorders except depression and schizophrenia were poorly understood in respondents, and many of their coping strategies were inappropriate. Furthermore, subjects tend to avoid too much contact with psychiatric patients for being afraid of the mental disorders. The poorer understanding of mental disorders, the more inappropriate coping strategies in dealing with mental disorders (P<0.001). Moreover, there was a significant difference in inappropriate coping strategies to mental disorders between patients being abused and patients not being abused (P=0.017). Factors such as education background (P=0.031) and the hospital level (P=0.038) also impacted the coping strategies to mental disorders.
 Conclusion: Among all mental disorders, only depression and schizophrenia are coped with the right way in medical workers of ear-nose-throat departments. In addition, obviously negative attitude and avoidance are found in dealing with mental disorders by medical workers. Importantly, poor cognitive ability to mental disorders is the main reason for hurting doctor-patient relationship in the ear-nose-throat departments.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Cognition ; Humans ; Nose ; Pharynx ; Physician-Patient Relations