Patient-doctor relationship course for MBBS mooted

To prevent differences between patients’ relatives and doctors from flaring into full-scale riots, Sir JJ Hospital has moved a proposal to the Medical Council of India (MCI) asking them to introduce a subject on patient-doctor relationship in the MBBS course.

Since the subject will be marked, medical students will have to take the topic seriously. One chapter in the subject will be dedicated to tips on how doctors should communicate with patients’ relatives.

On Friday, resident doctors at state and civic run medical colleges went on a token strike. One of the demands was better security for doctors.

Most of the time, disputes over treatment between doctors and relatives have turned into full-scale riots, where doctors have been assaulted and hospital property has been damaged by relatives and supporters.

“Security in the hospital campus is one of the major issues that has led to strikes by resident doctors in the last 10-15 years. When resident doctors sit to negotiate with authorities after every strike, the improvement of hospital security is always at the top of the agenda, but apart from assurances, doctors have got nothing,” said a senior doctor from KEM hospital.

He added, “The patient’s family is already tense and ill-mannered answers from an over-burdened doctor can lead to frayed tempers. It is also possible that doctors may not have the time and patience to deal with impatient relatives.”

Dr TP Lahane, dean, JJ hospital, said, “To avoid clashes between  doctors and relatives of patients, we need to develop the doctors’ communication skills. We have already moved a proposal with MCI asking them to introduce a subject on patient-doctor relationship in the MBBS course since MCI is working on a revised MBBS syllabus.”