ADVISOR

DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIPS

Since the earliest days of medicine, practitioners have recognized the importance of the relationship between doctors and patients. (It is even enshrined in the Hippocratic Oath: First, do no harm.)

Even so, health care is a topdown experience for most patients. Often, we view doctors as authority figures who make all the decisions about our treatment, and today the constraints of insurance companies seem to narrow our choices even further. It’s no wonder patients sometimes feel like they don’t have much say in regards to their own health care. Are you ready for the good news? That ideology is slowly changing, as evidence continues to mount that a heightened emphasis on patientcentered care provides better results for the whole team: patients, their families and health care providers.

“I approach my patients as people I plan to spend the rest of my life with,” says Dr. Jorge Ontiveros, an internist with Doctor’s Hospital. “You have to have their

Jeffrey M. Thurston, M.D

David M. Bookout, M.D.

Julie M. Hagood, M.D.

James K. Richards, M.D.

(center row)

Jennifer Muller, M.D.

John D. Bertrand, M.D.

(front row) best interests at heart. You have to genuinely care about their issues. I would even say, treat them like family.”

Jane E. Nokleberg, M.D.

Hampton B. Richards, M.D.

Today, many doctors recognize that a technologically correct diagnosis is only one facet of treating a patient.

“You can’t just say, ‘Your problem is X,’” says Dr. Hampton Richards of Walnut Hill Ob/Gyn.

Picker Institute Principles of Patient-Centered Care

• Respect for patients’ values, preferences and expressed needs

• Coordination and integration of care

• Information, communication and education

• Physical comfort

• Emotional support and alleviation of fear and anxiety

“You have to figure out what their end goal is. And that really ties into who they are, where they come from and what their life is like. The key to helping a patient get better is to figure out what is unique for her. Sometimes, the same complaint means different things to different patients.”

Mayo Clinic research indicates that when treatment decisions are shared between patients and doctors, best practices can be

• Involvement of family and friends

• Transition and continuity

Presenting their newest partners, Dr. Angela Fields Walker and Dr. Julie Vu, with the latest technological skills in roboticassisted laparoscopic surgery, for today’s woman who demands the best and the brightest.

Dr. Angela Fields Walker is enthusiastic to work with physicians that share her passion for women’s health. She is dedicated to patient-centered care and education, and embodies an honest, analytical, and attentive approach to patients’ needs and concerns, which make her a perfect fit for our growing practice.

Dr. Julie Vu previously practiced in Garland. She is excited to join a practice that focuses on the individual needs of women, in a center that offers resources needed to fully care for patients. As women balance careers and families, Dr. Vu offers care utilizing minimally invasive methods, giving women the ability to return to their lives more quickly.

Our mission is to provide the highest quality medical care in a caring and compassionate environment. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment.

Brothers & Crochet ObGyn Associates of Dallas, LLP

high risk pregnancy | natural childbirth | robotic-assisted and minimally invasive surgery | prepregnancy counseling | ultrasound | infertility | incontinence pelvic organ prolapse | same day appointments