The Art of Patient Care
Sitemap

The "Art of Patient Care" Sitemap contains a listing of all the pages on this website allowing for easy navigation and one-click retrieval of any page on the site.

General Topics

Art of Patient Care Home Page - Introduction to The Art of Patient Care - a website dedicated to improving the quality of medical care by studying and emphasizing basic humanitarian concepts.

About the Author - The mission and purpose of the site are stated here along with credentials of the author, confidentially statement, disclaimers and disclosures.

Medical Professionalism - What is medical professionalism? What does it mean to be a professional? How is it linked to good patient care?

Bedside Manner - What are the specific elements that define good bedside manner?

Health Care Team Concept - The health care team is an integral part of high quality patient care. This page describes how this team should function and work together for the welfare of the patient.

The Role of Your Medical Office Staff in Patient Care - Your medical office staff is extremely important in setting the tone of the office. Make sure their goals of patient care are in line with yours.

Medical Ethics in Clinical Practice - A summary of basic medical ethics required for clinical practice and proper patient care.

Health Care Issues in America - Current health care issues in America make it increasingly difficult for physicians to practice the kind of patient care they were trained to do.

The Hippocratic Oath - For your review: The Hippocratic Oath - the original and the modern versions - upon which the principles of medicine and patient care are founded.

Search Page - This page provides an easy way to search for any topic on this site.

Health Care Technology - There are many benefits to be found in utilization of technology to improve patient care, but there are also downsides and risks.

Whole Patient Care - Good patient care often requires knowledge of the patient's background and emotional stresses blended with scientific medical knowledge for optimum care and treatment.

Contextual Medical Errors - Contextual medical errors are very common. We must explore the literacy and the social/environmental history of our patients to be sure that treatment we prescribe can be carried out properly.

Evidence-Based Medicine Sometimes we don't have all the evidence we need, even when we think we do.

Advance Directives - Discussing advance directives and code status with patients and families is an art unto itself.

Medical Practice Models - There are different medical practice models from which to choose. How do they compare?

Health Information on the Web - How do you know which websites displaying health information are reliable?

Health Care Web Site Development - Have you been wanting to develop your own medical website or blog? Here's how to get started.

Patient Centered Care - The healthcare industry needs to refocus itself on patient centered care. What's good for the patient will also be good for the health care system.

Continuity of Care - This is an important aspect of patient care that we all know about, but too often seems to get second place to other priorities.

Narrative Medicine - The integration of the relatively recent concept of Narrative Medicine into medical training appears to be an excellent method of teaching young professionals how to incorporate humanity and understanding into patient care.

Patient Rights - Knowing and understanding patient rights are an integral part of patient care. Here's how to find a summary of those rights.

Palliative Care - Palliative care has become a specialty all its own, dealing with compassionate symptom-control for suffering patients.

Hospice Care - An excellent support system for patients and families dealing with end-of-life issues.

The Doctor Patient Relationship - The doctor patient relationship is a special bond like no other. It needs to be respected and treated carefully as a partnership emphasizing equality and trust.

Physician Burnout - Burnout is a syndrome that can bring even the most compassionate physician to his/her knees, resulting in poor bedside manner and, even worse, poor patient care.

Concierge Medicine - The concept of concierge medicine has emerged as an alternative to traditional medical practice. Many generalizations have been made that may not be accurate. Here is my experience.

Unexpected Deaths - Dealing with an unexpected death is never easy for healthcare providers. How can we help families and ourselves cope with these situations?

Clinical Judgment - Clinical judgment requires a balance between compassion, science and common sense. How do we sort out what is the best option when there are no textbooks or studies that tell us what to do?

Communication

Communication in Health Care - Communication in health care is one area where we could all improve. What are the best ways to do this?

Interpersonal Communication in Patient Care - What can be done to improve interpersonal communication in the doctor-patient relationship?

Communication Skills - How to develop good communication skills that will help immensely in taking care of patients in all kinds of situations.

Patient Teaching - Take time to explain things to patients. They will really appreciate it, and they will do better medically in the long run.

Medical Errors - We all try to avoid medical errors, but a certain number of them are inevitable. What should you do in the event of an error?

Good News -How should you give good news to a patient? This isn't always as easy as it sounds.

Saying No to Patient Requests - The art of saying no in patient care sometimes depends on how well the health care provider can explain to patients why some medications or treatments may be ineffective or even harmful.

Bad News - Giving bad news to a patient is never easy. What is the best way to do this?

Communication with Family Members - Maintaining a dialogue with family members is extremely important and an essential part of patient care.

Communication with Medical Consultants - Communication with other medical consultants about your patient is necessary for proper coordination of care, patient safety and is also a sign of your concern for the patient's welfare.

Patient Characteristics

Types of Patients - There are a number of different types of patients encountered in clinical medical practice. These are some of the more common types of patients and the best ways to interact with them.

Angry Patients - How to understand and help resolve conflicts with patients who are angry.

The Dying Patient - Caring for the dying patient may be one of the most difficult responsibilities that we have as physicians and healthcare professionals. Compassion and understanding are key requirements.

Geriatric patients are a special group that face multiple challenges as they get older. They need our friendship and support at this time in their lives more than ever.

Chronic Pain Patients - Taking care of chronic pain patients is one of the greatest challenges for physicians and nurses within both the inpatient and outpatient setting.

Poor Patient Compliance is a frequent and frustrating cause of poor patient outcomes. This article is a discussion about the problem and how to deal with it.

Psychosomatic Disorders - Patients with psychosomatic disorders present special challenges to health care providers. How can we help from a primary care standpoint?

Risk Management

Medical Risk Management - Medico-legal risks are an ever present concern in the current health care environment. What are the best ways to prevent and deal with these risks?

Health Care Risk Management Plan - How to evaluate your risk and develop an effective health care risk management plan

Discharging a Patient - What to do when the doctor-patient relationship goes bad

YOUR Comments

Comments on Patient Care - This is the place where you can add your own comments on patient care - experiences, concerns, case studies and ways to improve on the art of caring for patients.

References

Medical References and Resources - A listing of favorite books, journals and websites, etc. that are related to the art of healing and patient care in clinical medicine.

My Online Medicine Library contains my favorite resources for medical diagnosis and treatment. I keep these bookmarked for easy access on my office desktop computer and on my mobile device.

What's New

Patient Care Blog - All the newest and/or updated pages on this site are listed here along with visitor comments, article reviews, etc - all relating to the art of patient care.

Weblog Rules - Rules for users of this site and for those who wish to submit an entry for publication on this site or on the Blog Page.

This page was last updated on March 4, 2011.

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