The Golden Touch – The Magic of the Bedside Manner
What's in a name? Since its inception, the title "doctor" has been honored, respected, and revered. "Health is wealth", so the saying goes, and to the layman, the physicians of society seemingly possess the key that would unlock the door to long lasting vitality. They mend our broken bones, break our fevers, and ease our aches and pains. The magic of the bedside manner. Yet anyone who has ever visited a doctor with a less than friendly beside manner knows this truth: treatment by even the greatest practitioner falls short when not delivered with a healthy dose of kindness and compassion. The Power of Compassion In years past, the relationship between patient and healthcare practitioner was little more than an afterthought, an addendum to scientific medical training. The most recent research however, turns this notion on its head. According to a 2014 compilation of 13 clinical studies published in the journal PLOS One, a positive doctor-patient relationship has significant and measurable clinical effects on health outcomes, including reductions in obesity, diabetes, hypertension, asthma, pulmonary infections, and even chronic pain! The short of it? A practitioner's bedside manner can mean a very dramatic difference between health, and disease. What Should You…