The doctor-patient relationship

Brief review of antiquity to present days

Abstract

Introduction. we can say that communication can and should be seen as one of the main ingredients of medical care. This review work evaluates the establishment of the relationship between the doctor and the patient, a relationship that allows two people previously unknown to each other to establish a connection that allows a sufficient degree of intimacy that enables the knowledge of the patient as a whole as well as his participation in the establishment of the goals and objectives for the attainment of his state of health. Materials and Methods. Used for the accomplishment of this succinct review article, they consisted of a bibliographic search in PUBMED, using the keywords defined based on MeSH. The bases of doctor-patient relationship are based on four pillars: trust, knowledge, respect and loyalty, these elements having a strong impact on the doctor-patient relationship and the nature of this relationship, even having an impact on treatment results of the patient. The models of physician-patient relationship consist in three basic models: a) the activity-passivity model; b) orientation-cooperation; and c) mutual participation involving different levels of patient participation in decision making and participation in the choice of treatments. The models of medical practice: from antiquity to the present have undergone a transition over the years. In the early days, it was predominantly centered on an activity-passivity model up to the current model, the model of mutual participation. Final observations. We can verify that the components of communication identified as being more effective can be used as a basis for the development of medical education curricula as well as for patient education programs.