Physician-patient communication - a potential source of conflict (in Polish)

Abstract

Information on sources of conflict on the part of physicians is more than abundant. This study is an attempt to identify other potential sources of conflict that are independent of physicians. The physician-patient relationship has changed radically in recent times. Since the dawn medicine paternalism has reigned. The physician is the one who has knowledge and competence in the field of medicine, and the patient was fully entrusted to his care. Today neopaternalism applies: the patient and only patient decides. Few, however, realize that this decision entails co-responsibility for the patient’s treatment. The contract for medical services is concluded when the physician speaks with the patient. This is not a normal conversation and all of its elements are important: who speaks, with whom, when, where, about what, under what conditions. In fact, the Polish physician is between the proverbial rock and a hard place. On the one hand there is the patient, who is constitutionally entitled to free medical benefits. On the other hand there is the National Health Fund, which has to pay, and consistently limits the availability of benefits. This and the constant negative propaganda in the media is causing an increase of patient aggression toward physicians. A very important part of the treatment process is pro-health behavior, which depends solely on the patient. However, the costs of treatment are also important. Two aspects should be taken into account here: the actual costs and the patient’s assessment of his own treatment.