New York Times Column Looks At The Doctor-Patient Communication Gap

The New York Times Health section has a new columnist that wants to discuss the fact that many Americans are losing faith in their doctors. And get this, the columnist is…a doctor. Dr. Pauline Chen, a liver transplant and cancer surgeon, has seen first-hand the growing struggle to find open communication and trust on both sides of the doctor-patient relationship, and she’s ready to talk about it. Dr. Chen says, “We all want the same thing: the best care possible, but we have lost the ability to converse thoughtfully with one another. My hope is that we can revive that conversation.”

Dr. Chen’s debut column, “Healing the Doctor-Patient Divide” admits that there is a divide and calls for an open dialogue via the internet. She states that, “It is difficult for any one of us to change today’s health care system, but there is one thing every one of us can do. We can begin the conversation.”

Sources:
“Doctors and Patients Start Talking” – The New York Times, September 11, 2008
“Healing the Doctor-Patient Divide” – The New York Times, September 11, 2008