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The photograph above is by the great 19th-century photographer Julia Margaret Cameron. She would get the children of her friends to dress up and pose, usually in serious looking re-creations of literary works. All the 19th-century photographs I have, including the 3 by Cameron, show children with thoughtful expressions. I suspect the kids were just as playful and squirmy then as they are now, but the sensibility of the time was that a good child was a quiet child. These photographs of thoughtful children appeal to me, I think, because they show children as independent people, with thoughts of their own, who deserve respect and deserve to be listened to.
My care philosophy, a very brief summary.
- Expertise
- Skill
- Empathy
- Continuity
- Access
I think you consult a physician for expertise. That doesn't mean doctors know everything, but I think that medical knowledge is important. But anybody bright enough to read the right textbooks can acquire the basics. So skill is also crucial, to be able to apply this knowledge with experience and judgement. That's the basics of professional medical care.
I want to go beyond that. It's important to me that your child know the doctor, and hopefully like the doctor. This isn't just being friendly--I think it has a medical impact. Also important is continuity of care, where you and your child feel like you have a relationship with a particular doctor. This comes about from being able to see the same doctor for both sick and well visits, to talk to the same doctor on the phone, and to get to know the things for which you can depend on that doctor. I think this is not a luxury but an essential factor in achieving important health goals.
And, perhaps most important of all, I want to provide access. That means that when you call, you get a call back. When you call at night or on the weekend, you won't get a clerk who you have to convince about the seriousness of your problem just to get that person to--hopefully--get your message to the doctor on call who you don't know. At a time when many doctors are putting more distance between themselves and their patients, I want to reduce that distance. I want to know my patients individually and help them individually.
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Just so we're clear about this, this is Copyright 2006 and all rights are reserved. Nobody has permission to copy or publish any part of this on paper, on the internet or in any other way. The photograph image above was taken by me of a photograph I own and is on my wall. It is probably a really bad idea to take it and publish it elsewhere.
