308 Interacting with Their Patients
magazine lists of ‘‘The Best Doctors,’’ the providers here questioned the
notion of reputations, and even what the phrase ‘‘the best doctor in town’’
means.
The stories here can assist patients, too, in anticipating and handling
more effectively communication problems that arise. Studies on patient
outcomes and satisfaction rarely, if ever, assess dignity—the loss of which
emerged as important here, and needs to be further investigated. These
doctors can help patients to better see how to approach statistics, noting
how easily these numbers can be misunderstood or misconstrued.
Public health campaigns and professional education can help in teach-
ing and encouraging skills to promote such insights as much as possible.
In improving doctor-patient relationships and communication, and the
health care system as a whole, knowledge alone is not enough. Attitudes
of physicians need to shift as well.
These doctors had vital lessons for professionals and trainees as well—
specific ways to be more empathetic with, or sensitive to, patients. Yet ob-
stacles arose as well in caring for patients. These doctors didn’t always
become saints; they encountered conflicting impulses and frustrations.
Day-to-day, optimal empathy was hard to sustain. Nonetheless, their strug-
gles can enlighten many.
Through this project, I have learned much. I was moved by the
humanity and enormous generosity of spirit demonstrated by these
doctors—their openness about their lives; honesty about their foibles,
failures, and limitations; and commitment to medical ideals. Methodo-
logically, combining narratives and integrating stories is hard. Presenting
a meaningful whole that both reflects broader underlying themes and
social structures (e.g., about medicine, doctoring, doctor-patient rela-
tionships, disease and coping) and does justice to these individuals and
the coherence of their lives requires a fine balance. Biographies generally
examine only one life at a time. Plutarch compared two figures at a time.
Modern technology makes it easier to record and document multiple
lives. Still, individuals operate as both social and psychological beings,
and exploring themes across individuals’ lives remains challenging, but I
think provides rich rewards, as I have tried to show.
Vividly, I recall these physicians and my conversations with them. They
inspired and moved me, and taught me much.
What became of them?