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Doctor - Patient Relationship

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Doctor–patient relationship
The doctor–patient relationship is central to the practice of healthcare and is essential for the delivery of high-quality health care in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The doctor–patient relationship forms one of the foundations of contemporary medical ethics. Most universities teach students from the beginning, even before they set foot in hospitals, to maintain a professional rapport with patients, uphold patients’ dignity, and respect their privacy.
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Importance
A patient must have confidence in the competence of their physician and must feel that they can confide in him or her. For most …show more content…

There are ethical concerns regarding the use of placebo and whether or not giving a placebo leads to an undermining of trust between doctor and patient and whether deceiving a patient for their own good is compatible with a respectful and consent-based doctor-patient relationship.[3]
Formal or casual
There may be differences in opinion between the doctor and patient in how formal or casual the doctor-patient relationship should be.
For instance, according to a Scottish study,[4] patients want to be addressed by their first name more often than is currently the case. In this study, most of the patients either liked (223) or did not mind (175) being called by their first names. Only 77 disliked it, most of whom were aged over 65.[4] On the other hand, most patients don 't want to call the doctor by his or her first name.[4]
Some familiarity with the doctor generally makes it easier for patients to talk about intimate issues such as sexual subjects, but for some patients, a very high degree of familiarity may make the patient reluctant to reveal such intimate issues.[5]
Transitional care
Transitions of patients between health care practitioners may decrease the quality of care in the time it takes to reestablish proper doctor-patient relationships. Generally, the doctor-patient relationship is facilitated by continuity of care in regard to

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