The doctor-person relationship

摘要

"It's like I wasn't even there," I was the complaint of a patient whose arthritic knee had just been replaced. The operation was a complete success as evidenced by the 70-year-old woman's recent golf score. The surgeon was courteous and compassionate and their discussion was not rushed, but still the clinical encounters left her "cold." What, if anything,was missing? And how cold did she feel after her encounters with me?