Good family doctors have the ability to provide excellent primary health care for all members of the family. If you are a Canadian resident and you are searching for a new family physician, you should be aware of the following qualities of good family doctors.
Love for People
Generally, family doctors like to associate with people. Regardless of their age, background, or income level, good primary health care physicians will take time to learn about their patients. It is one of their defining qualities – they enjoy conversing with people. They don’t mind spending time to know about their goals, ambitions, travails and sources of pain (both emotional and psychological). As you relate with good Calgary family doctors, you will notice that they are more interested in learning from you than showing off their knowledge of medicine. This makes it easy for them not to know their patients intimately but to appreciate their patient’s family.
Ability to Listen Well
Good family doctors will listen carefully to your story without hurrying you up. This is particularly true when they are meeting you for the very first time. They may provide some prompts that will help you to focus but they will not force you to condense the narration of your situation. Great doctors know that they are not meant to bother with what they intend to say but with what you are saying to them. They act like professional counsellors, taking notes and repeating some of the things you say to confirm important points.
Professionalism
Good family doctors act professionally in all their conduct. In all major cities in Canada, including Edmonton family doctors take doctor-patient confidentiality very seriously. This is a major aspect of medical ethics. After relating with a good family doctor for some months, you will discover that they are warm and friendly, but they also maintain a professional distance from you. They make you feel safe enough to disclose vital information about your health. But they also ensure that everything you say does not go out of the four walls of their office. in addition, good doctors will treat you fairly regardless of your ethnicity or social status – they take care of you without judging you.
Empathy
Empathy is the ability that doctors have to understand your condition and how you feel. They can easily connect with you and even relate your pain to other aspects of your daily life without you tell them. Research has shown that when your doctor has this quality, it makes you feel that you are being cared for and you end up recovering much faster. But when this quality is absent, or when the doctor does not show sufficient interest in your case, full recovery may take a much longer time. In fact, in some cases, the mere appearance of a good family doctor has made patients with serious pain to rise up from their sick bed and start responding to treatment instantly. This is largely due to the kind of relationship that has been established with their family physician.
Now you know the qualities that you should look for when you are searching for a family physician. When you meet your potential family doctor for the first time, make sure you look out for the ability to listen and relate well, and discover whether you will be able to enjoy proper medical care and a long term relationship.
