The 24-hour Pet Emergency office was jam-packed. Humans were crying and pacing. Some animal patients were near-death. Others were peeing in the waiting room. Although the staff and vets were super-busy, they were also attentive and polite. Dumb questions and unsolicited pet tales were indulged with a smile. Somehow they managed to be both friendly and efficient.
And then there was my experience at Kaiser, where I’m an infrequent patient. This time the advice nurse said make an appointment so I did. As the doctor entered the room, I began to talk. She cut me off, saying she had already read it all in the notes. She seemed irritated and impatient and rarely looked at me when speaking. Boy was I glad to get out of there.
I have noticed these differences in the manner of veterinarians and physicians for years. Why the difference? Is it a matter of workload and stress? Status and power? How much can’t be helped and how much is a choice? How much is a matter of incentives and payment systems*? I don’t know.
But the phrase “bedside manner” exists because it speaks to a real issue: grumpy doctors. Even doctors acknowledge the phenomenon (see, for instance: Why are so many doctors complete jerks?), a phenomenon so commonplace that some people think it must be a type of medical best practice (see, for instance: Is It Important for Doctors to be Grumpy?).
And to balance the negativity about doctors with a little compassion, I recommend Why Doctors hate Their Computers by Atul Gawande in the November 12,2018 Issue of The New Yorker.
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** For instance, few US pet owners have insurance for veterinary care. Most pay directly, and in full, for services. Vets are therefore motivated to please them. But since the owners are paying out of their own pockets, they please by being nice instead of by over-treating.