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Description Of A Bedside Manner

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Bedside manner is by definition, the manner that a physician assumes toward a patient. (Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, n.d.) However, it is hard to strictly fix it into one set definition. It encompasses so many different aspects of personal human behavior, including things like attitude, kindness, sensitivity, and compassion. Good bedside manner is the foundation to building a healthy relationship between the patient and the physician. It sets the standard on communication between the two parties. Poor bedside manner or failure to properly establish appropriate bedside manner may result in patients becoming distant, apprehensive, or untrusting of the physician. Bedside manner is not strictly for the benefit of the patient. (Missouri College, 2013) A large part of conveying good bedside manner is for the healthcare professional to be sure that they are able to completely understand the patient. This goes hand in hand with favorable doctor-patient communication skills. It is crucial to maintain good bedside manner, not only to keep therapeutics moving forward smoothly, but also to aid in the healing process. In certain studies, it is reported that more patients prefer a doctor with a personality reflecting good bedside skills to one that might just be better at accurately diagnosing a patient. This conclusion is alarming in the fact that more people hold more importance on simply feeling human, than being properly diagnosed. (Danny Gordon, 2014) Another reason for

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