As Naturopathic Doctors, we are equipped with many clinical skills to help guide our patients to health. One of our most important skills is one that is sadly unrepresented in global healthcare, and that is our ability and desire to listen to our patients.
One of my favorite quotes on the medical significance of listening to patients:
“History taking, the most clinically sophisticated procedure of medicine, is an extraordinary investigative technique; in few other forms of scientific research does the observed object talk.” ~ Alvan Feinstein
Naturopathic Doctors take time to listen, and to understand. Pain, suffering and dysfunction must be translated and – most importantly – understood, if a Naturopathic Doctor is to be an effective healer. Once this is done, the doctor can use his or her extensive skills and training to guide the patient to health.
Because of our priority to obtain a thorough understanding of our patients and their concerns, office visits with a Naturopathic Doctor are typically longer than they would be at another doctor’s office. Initial visits to a Naturopathic Doctor are commonly 1-2 hours in length. Labs are also reviewed during these visits, and time is spent providing education about lab results, lifestyle and nutrition. Physical examination is often included during doctor appointments, and creating updated and customized treatment plans is something the doctor and patient work on together at each and every visit.
“Listen to your patient, he is telling you the diagnosis.” ~ William Osler
Each and every patient is a unique, complicated individual with personal, social, cultural or spiritual dimensions of illness. How each patient defines their history and experience with their health concerns is unique. Each patient has a story to tell, and this narrative is essential to discovering the obstacle to cure, and ultimately to their healing process.