Relationship Between Patients, Their Doctors and the Healthcare Team

and Karl Reinhard Aigner³

(1)

Department of Surgery, The University of Sydney, Mosman, NSW, Australia

(2)

The Royal Prince Alfred and Sydney Hospitals, Mosman, NSW, Australia

(3)

Department of Surgical Oncology, Medias Clinic Surgical Oncology, Burghausen, Germany

In this chapter you will learn about:

The importance of selecting appropriate specialists for patient care
The importance of developing an honest and compassionate relationship between doctor and patient
Skills in delivering worrying news to patients and their families
Differences that often exist between men and women in dealing with health issues.

Nowhere in the field of medical practice is it more important for the patient to have good personal relationships, trust and understanding, than between each patient with cancer, or suspected cancer, and his or her medical advisers. Breast cancer and prostate cancer stand out as having special need for good relationships. In the case of breast cancer different possible courses of action are likely to achieve similar long-term results and the patient’s preferred treatment option should be discussed. In the case of prostate cancer there may be a question of advisability of any attempt at cure so that the patient’s personal life priorities must be considered.

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