25 rules of a good doctor.
1. A good doctor should understand the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of diseases and be able to apply this knowledge to solve clinical problems. Qiao Fei, Liver Disease Center (Department of Infection), Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
2. A good doctor should build his or her solid medical knowledge base by frequently reading the literature and tracking the latest advances in medicine over the past 30-40 years and up to the present.
3. A good doctor should obtain the most information possible from all sources, such as patients’ and families’ records.
4. A good doctor should question certain past medical histories of patients that he or she overhears incidentally.
5. A good doctor should have good clinical skills.
6. A good doctor should perform special examinations for special purposes.
A good doctor is always looking for new clues.
8. Even if the cause of the patient’s disease is obvious, a good doctor still needs to look for any other problems in the patient.
A good doctor should pay attention to details.
10. A good doctor should focus on the whole clinical picture, not just a detail that is separate from the whole.
A good doctor is able to reevaluate the initial clinical impressions formed about the patient’s problem.
12. A good doctor is able to ask other doctors for advice when there is doubt about diagnosis or treatment.
13. A good doctor should always monitor the patient’s treatment, evaluate the appropriateness of treatment, and make timely corrections.
A good doctor should be able to summarize the medical history, physical examination results and laboratory test information from the patient and think holistically.
15. A good doctor should clearly and accurately document clinical treatment activities.
16. A good doctor should be an educator and should educate patients and families.
A good doctor should be clear about the potential advantages and disadvantages, complications, and adverse effects of his or her treatment plan.
A good doctor should make sure that the patient is fully aware that the test or treatment will solve the problem before discussing the patient’s test results or treating the patient.
A good doctor should be gentle and optimistic without being biased when talking to patients and their families about the prognosis of their condition.
20. A good doctor should let the patient talk about the development of the condition when taking a medical history.
A good physician knows whether his or her treatment plan is curative or a temporary palliative measure.
22. A good doctor knows that the patient should be made aware of his or her particular problem and that there are mild and severe conditions, most of which are in the middle.
23. A good doctor should be able to talk to the patient rather than lecture.
A good doctor, when informing the patient of several different treatment options, should not require the patient to choose the option to be implemented, but should respect the patient’s decision.
Finally, a good doctor should not be afraid to overturn his or her diagnosis if the patient’s subsequent clinical assessment is inconsistent with the initial diagnosis.