A story about how a surgeon learned about communicating directly with his patient http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/06/surgeon-point-communicate-patient.html has lessons that were missed.
The surgeon who referred to the patient as “mentally retarded” is from South Africa, where that language may or may not still be acceptable. In the US it is not.
However, the bigger lesson is that he really did the right thing, even though he was never convinced of that. He brushed aside the information being offered by the father when he first met them, making it clear that he preferred to speak with the patient directly. The surgeon then felt he had painted himself into the corner when he realized the young man had an intellectual disability. He continually referred to the patient’s limitations and, frankly, seemed to have a very low expectation of that patient.
What the surgeon never realized, even after the father thanked him for respecting his son, was that persons with disabilities often have far more capability than we credit them with and this was an example of that. The most important thing for healthcare providers to recognize is that they should always communicate directly with their patients. Patients will understand at their own levels. Only if decisions are to be made and the patient has not been able to communicate understanding at his or her level should others be brought into the conversation. Unfortunately, this doctor was focused on his own relief that he was not chastised for brushing off the father.
He accidentally did the right thing. Now, if we could only get him to realize that.
Annette Bourbonniere
401-846-1960
Fax: 401-846-1944
Twitter: @AccessInclude
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