Doctor Patient Communication-A Vital Yet Neglected Entity in Indian Medical Education System

Abstract

Doctor patient communication is the most important and an integral part of any treatment regimen. Properly carried out it has been shown to have a therapeutic effect equivalent to drugs. Despite being so important part of treatment it is more than often taken and carried out casually. Apart from apathy towards this practice, its omission in the medical study curriculum is an important factor. This study was carried in amongst the surgical residents of surgical departments of various medical colleges to assess the attitude of surgical residents towards patient doctor communication. A questionnaire was forwarded by mail and email and the response was assessed: The responses of the surgical residents from various residents from different medical colleges were similar. Most of the residents prefer inclusion of communication skill in medical education curriculum © 2011 Association of Surgeons of India.