Patient Centric Care

The Medical Interview

“It is much more important to know what kind of patient has the disease than what sort of disease the patient has.’’ – William Osler

The medical interview is a collaborative effort between the physician and patient.Being the cornerstone of medical care, the case taking establishes the patient-physician rapport, facilitating trust and communication.

During the interview the patient’s need to have his or her story heard and suffering understood is balanced by the physician’s need to know and understand as much as possible about the patient and his or her problems.

This step marks the baseline, the starting point, the first chapter of the therapeutic alliance. This meeting encompasses details of the patient’s entire life, right from the basic preliminary data, interpersonal relationships, past and family history, up till the thought processes and individualistic personality traits. It is imperative to be guided by a sense of direction which classifies this process as being disease oriented or in view of health promotion.

Any clinic ideally is meant to be an open, comfortable and secure space forpatients, where they can talk spontaneously. As opposed to the ‘facts only approach’, we firmly believe in the ‘attentive and caring approach’. One of the most crucial features of the patient-physician dialogue is the ‘shared silence’, which not only helps the flow of the interview but also reassures patients while revealing tender moments of their life. Non-judgmental interest in the patient’s problems, active listening, empathy, and concern for the patient as a unique person are the blocks that build a Helping Relationship.

Patient centring is focused at providing easily accessible care involving physical comfort as well as emotional well-being.Patient and family preferences, values, cultural traditions, and socioeconomic conditions are respected.Patients and their families are an expected part of the care team and play a role in decisions at the patient and system level.The presence of family members in the care setting is encouraged and facilitated.Information is shared fully and in a timely manner so that patients and their family members can make informed decisions.We understand the values our patients hold dear, and help understand themselves better. Using the personalised medicine method, a physician often ends up treating the caregivers and other family members as well, becoming a health mentor and coach for the entire family.

We abide by the following ‘RESPECT’ model of patient centric care:

R- Respect

E- Empathy

S- Support

P- Partnership

E- Explanations

C- Cultural competence

T- Trust

The depth in the word ‘RESPECT’ is thus further enhanced by the acronym it stands for.

Your Story

“The storytelling is really where the medicine is.” – Suzanne Koven

Every Patient Tells a story, and storytelling happens to be a two-way street. We are all a constantly unfolding narrative, each of us a hero in a novel no one else can write. Yet so many of us leave our stories untold, our songs unsung. When this happens, we wind up feeling lonely, listless, out of touch with our life’s purpose, plagued with a chronic sense that something is out of alignment. We may even wind up feeling unworthy, unloved, or sick.

Storytelling delves deep into the physiological processes of the human body, pioneering new awareness of the relationship between language, imagination, and well-being. Storytelling resonates with the whole person. Individuals living with illnesses have valuable lessons to teach. There is power in both sharing and in listening. Story sharing is a gift and it builds community. That is why this form of therapy is a powerful part of support groups and peer visits. Healing Story Sessions are about honouring and bearing witness. Patient stories transcend illness as a tribute to hope, human resiliency and dignity.

Telling your story may be the most powerful medicine on earth.

Examination

In today’s time, many might consider a thorough physical examination to be a lost art. Owing to technological advancements and time constraints, there has been a marked deterioration in this basic clinical skill among the modern physicians. This not only is a threat to the health of a patient but also causes misdiagnosis or delay in the correct diagnosis which further delays choosing the right line of treatment. More importantly, the bond of trust is lost in this distant and hurried experience.

In a physical examination, there are many things that an experienced healthcare provider can find outby simply using their sharpened senses to detect anything out of the ordinary. Such as their eyes to inspect, hands to palpate and percuss and ears to auscultate. Findings of a physical examination carry more weightage than one can imagine. No instrument, no matter how sensitive can overshadow the healing touch that a physician can provide while he patiently examines his patient.

Symptoms : Analysis and Evaluation

Homeopathy is a science of Symptomatology. Symptoms are nature’s language and way of saying that a disease or sickness exists in the body, the very outward manifestation of the internal disharmony. Symptoms are a diverse and invaluable entity in clinical practice. They speak louder than words. No symptom observed or expressed can ever go in vain, be it the general, particular, common or especially the unusual ones. That which is out of the ordinary is usually a guide rather than a hindrance, as the uncommon ‘characteristic’ symptoms are the ones that often furnish the solution for the case.

Patients, along with having multiple complaints are also helplessly searching for answers. The patient is carefully observed as to which symptom is impacting the quality of life.

Each Symptom is dissected according to its location, sensation, modality(modifying factors) and concomitant(unusual associations). The detailed history entails analyzing the timeline of a symptom with emphasis on the conditions before, during and after the complaint. Accordingly, the symptoms are perceived and evaluated based on their individualistic importance. This is what brings us one step closer to finding theremedy.

Amidst understanding the complexity of a disease,practitioners find that ONE condition often has MANY different causes or ONE cause may result in MANY different conditions.

Finding the CAUSE of the illness happens to be the pivotal step in reaching the CURE. Much effort is required to search the events that took place around the time the illness started.

The most indispensable question during the case taking stands to be, “When were you last well?’’

The Remedy

“It is easy to get a thousand prescriptions but hard to get one single remedy.”

The ideal remedy is one that fits the disease as well as the person. The remedy need not be specific to any form of therapy. The medicine that is best suited for the individual in that particular case may be called their remedy.

Any medicine that a person takes has to be safe, gentle and effective. The aim should always be to follow a Holistic approach. Attaining the perfect remedy that will effect a cure is a laborious process. There’s no sure shot formula or shortcut to find it, as it is a product of the concept of individualization.

Remedies differ from case to case and may be broadly classified as:
Target remedy: Which is given to cure the Acute illness.
Constitutional Remedy: Which is given to treat the ‘’Whole person’’ or in Chronic diseases.

Reaching the Remedy is the result of an accurate amalgamation of all the steps right from a thorough case taking and unerring examination to the congruous integration of therapies.

Integrative Approach

Integrative Medicine (IM) is healing-oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person, including all aspects of lifestyle. It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship between practitioner and patient, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapies. It has the following components:

1. Patient and practitioner are partners in the healing process.

2. All factors that influence health, wellness, and disease are taken into consideration, including mind, spirit, and community, as well as the body.

3. Appropriate use of both conventional and alternative methods facilitates the body’s innate healing response.

4. Effective interventions that are natural and less invasive should be used whenever possible.

Alongside the concept of treatment, the broader concepts of health promotion and the prevention of illness are paramount.

Ancillary Treatment

Ancillary care refers to the wide range of healthcare services provided to support the work of a primary physician. It forms an important pillar for enabling patient wellness.

A complete cure of an ailment is achieved not only by administering a remedy but also understanding all the factors that may hasten or obstruct recovery. It is the duty of the physician to impart this knowledge to the patient and advise according dietary and lifestyle changes. Consuming a balanced diet, religiously following an exercise regime or practicing Yoga and Pranayama should be encouraged. At the same time, the patient must be deterred from practicing or consuming anything that is deleterious to the body as that happens to be an obstacle to the cure. This advice may seem insignificant but massively impacts the state of health and the speed of recovery.

Specialist Referral

A referral to a specialist is required in complex medical problems. The assistance enables a specific diagnosis which might help in treatment.In searching for a specialist it is imperative to find someone who fits your specific health needs.

A close co-operation between the family doctor and the specialist is needed. The diagnosis of a disease gives clarity and relief to the patient and helps in the prognosis of the case. In cases of any referral for a procedure, it is important that the family doctor attends the procedure and discusses the finer points of the disease.

We have a team of specialists that we collaborate with in order to provide our patients with the best possible care and guidance. It is our utmost priority to ensure that the patient is in the right hands at the right time and we assure to stand by them in every step along the way.

Follow Up

We evaluate patients and their response to treatment with the following three questions which happento have a unique place in medical practice:

1. Are you feeling fresh ?
2. Are you feeling light ?
3. Are you feeling active ?

The Constitutional Homeopathic remedy will bring about changes in these three aspects. Even in cases that are status quo(unchanged), patients will say that they feel fresher, lighter and active.

After the consultation , there is a certain sense of belief instilled in the patient i.e. the “Sense of Self”, which is the way a person thinks about and views his or her traits, beliefs, and purpose in the world. A strong sense of self is felt by knowing your own goals, values and ideals while dealing with a sickness.