Kindness
Sukhit Phaosavasdi MD*, Surasak Thaneepanichskul MD*, Yuen Tannirandorn MD*, Vorapong Phupong MD*, Boonchai Uerpairojkit MD*, Chumsak Pruksapongs MD*, Aurchart Kajanapitak MD*
Affiliation : * Member of Medical Association of Thailand
Doctors are often requested to be kind in helping poor patients, frightened and upset patients,
patients who feel inhibited and uneasy discussing health problems as well as patients who feel that they might
lose their jobs(1). What doctors can do to help is to be kind to their patients who are insecure both physically
and mentally. The easiest way for doctors to show their kindness is to be considerate when expressing opinions
that might hurt their patients’ feelings. Please try to comfort them. Though some doctors have to start doing
this, it is important. What might be perceived as a threat that forces patients to follow the doctors’ instructions
should be reconsidered and rephrased(2,3).
What should patients do to see kind doctors? Most patients hardly follow their doctor’s instructions
because they are not sure whether what their doctor has said was an order or a scolding. Since patients are
suffering from their sickness and would like to recover, they try their best to be nice to doctors, nurses or even
hospital workers when they go to hospital. When patients are not scolded by hospital staff, they feel very good
and that it is a lucky day. They feel like their suffering is almost gone. Because of this feeling, they can eat and
sleep well.
Starting to converse kindly may be difficult for some doctors because they talk to their patients
abruptly. They do not talk to them as gently as they are supposed to do. Doctors may often talk abruptly to their
family. In reality, doctors are kind by nature. If not, they would not be able to be doctors. But studies have to
be conducted to determine whether the environment in the hospital or the society changes their nature.
Doctors have problems with their patients because they do not talk to their patients politely, often
speaking very loudly as though they are commanding the patients and not listening to them(4). This reprehen-
sible behavior should not be shown to patients who need to be treated in a gentle and calm fashion so they can
recover both physically and mentally as quickly as possible. This is the highest goal that both doctors and
patients would like to achieve.
As a result, the authors would like to ask doctors to be kind to their patients because it is generally
accepted that doctors are of high caliber and patients need kind doctors; consequently, it is not difficult for
doctors to adjust their behaviors to meet the needs of their patients.
Keywords : Medical ethics, Kindness
