The doctor can be the most powerful drug a patient experiences; AND - physical dis-ease - no matter what the cause - can be one of the most unsettling circumstances people, who become known as patients, endure. The connection between doctor and patient may be the primary determiner of the course of the patient’s healthcare outcome and experience.
This blog - Doctor - Patient Connections - will focus on this relationship between doctors and patients. Central to this focus is the Balint method. Balint is a group process designed to create a safe environment for a regularly meeting group of physicians (and/or other health care professionals) to explore and better understand the nature of the relationship between a doctor and one of his or her patients who stays on their mind. To learn more about the Balint method, I encourage you to explore the web site of the American Balint Society.
The purpose of this blog is to explore the issues and challenges (for both doctors and patients) of providing and receiving great health care. In particular, we will also explore the experience of leading a Balint group as well as participating in a Balint group. This also means that we will be taking a look at the patient's perspective.
Comments on these posts are welcomed. There may be an occasional guest blog. There will be NO confidential doctor or patient information published, either in a post or in a comment.
I hope the audience will be anyone and everyone who is interested in, involved in and invested in the nature of doctor - patient relationships. You do not have to be a member of the American (or any other) Balint Society to follow or comment on posts in this blog. Our hope is that we can make a connection with you, our readers and our co-travelers on our healthcare journeys. If you would like to receive notices of new postings, click on "Subscribe" next to the RSS icon.
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