There
are a set of guides for putting the principle of Dignity in Care into
action. The framework was developed for
those who have contact with patients and service users, and who therefor have
the opportunity to support the dignity of people who seek help from the health
care system.
The
Guidelines are called the ABC and D’s and they examine how attitudes may affect
actions, and how people can take conscious steps to adjust those attitudes and
behaviours. They follow the familiar A-B-C pattern that many
disciplines use as the foundation for basic learning.
Attitude
Behaviour
Compassion
Dialogue
Attitude
How do our preconceived ideas affect our
actions?
The
first step is to examine one’s personal attitudes and assumptions regarding patients.
Everyone’s attitudes depend on the way they have been wired and conditioned to
think about, or react toward, a certain situation.
These
perceptions are subjective, and may or may not reflect the reality of the
person seeking health care – and yet, they can have a profound effect on how
people are treated and how health care is provided.
For example:
When
dealing with a confused, homeless person, some people may automatically assume
that the person is intoxicated before considering that a severe health problem
may be involved.
When
a person is very frail and elderly, some people may not realize that the person
may be as mentally alert and intellectually active as they are.
Some
people may assume that everyone else is upset by, or takes pleasure in, the
same things that they do.
Questions
to ponder
Taking
an honest look at our own preconceived notions is a deeply personal but
necessary exercise. People working in health care can ask themselves some basic
questions to gain insight into how attitudes and assumptions can influence the
way they deal with people.
Some
questions to consider are:
·
How
would I be feeling in this person’s situation?
·
What
is leading me to draw those conclusions?
·
Have
I checked whether my assumptions are accurate?
·
Am
I aware how my attitudes toward the person may be affecting him or her?
·
Could
my attitudes toward the person be based on something to do with my own
experiences, anxieties or fears?
·
Does
my attitude toward my job help or hinder my ability to treat this person with
care, openness and respect?
Behaviour
Kindness and respect must be the basis
Once
someone has become aware of their attitudes, they can more effectively manage
their behaviour toward others.
Many
simple gestures can make a patient feel more like a person, worthy of attention
and respect – and less like a body to be poked and prodded, or an obstacle to
be worked around. Small acts of kindness and respect can enhance trust and
connection. In turn, patients are more likely to be comfortable providing
doctors and caregivers with important information that can have a bearing on
their ongoing care.
It’s
also important to realize that the health care environment may be routine for
those working in health care, but not for people seeking medical attention.
Even under the best circumstances, clinical processes, examinations and
intimacies of care can be strange and upsetting for many people.
Professionalism,
kindness and connectedness are particularly important when dealing with people
with advanced disease. At this critical time, the behaviour of those around the
person can help ease the physical challenges of worsening illness while
maintaining the person’s sense of self-worth and self-coherence.
Improving
the tone of contact
·
Treat
contact with patients as you would any important clinical interaction.
·
Always
act and speak with respect and kindness.
·
Know
that ongoing contact is an important aspect of care, regardless of whether
there are options for a cure.
·
Small but powerful acts of kindness
·
Getting
someone a glass of water
·
Helping
with slippers
·
Getting
the person’s glasses or hearing aid
·
Adjusting
a pillow or bed sheets
·
Acknowledging
a photograph, greeting card or flowers
·
Improving communication
·
Show
that the person has your full attention.
·
Invite
the person to have someone from his or her support network present,
particularly when complex or difficult information will be discussed.
·
Raise
personal issues in a setting that respects the need for privacy.
·
Try
to be seated at a comfortable distance, at the person’s eye level.
·
Realize
that illness and changing health status can be overwhelming. Offer patients and
families repeated explanations.
·
Use
language that the person can understand. When within hearing distance, never
speak about the person’s condition in terms he or she cannot understand.
·
Always
ask whether the patient has any further questions. Assure the person that there
will be other opportunities to ask questions as they arise.
During
clinical examination
·
Always
ask the patient for permission to perform a physical examination.
·
Always
ask for the patient’s permission to include students or trainees in the
examination.
·
Take
the time to set patients at ease and show that you have some appreciation of
what they are about to go through. Useful phrases include:
o I know this might feel a bit
uncomfortable.
o I’m sorry that we must do this to you.
o I know this is an inconvenience.
o This should only hurt for a moment.
o Let me know if you feel we need to stop
for any reason.
o
This
part of the conversation is necessary because…
·
Limit
conversation during an examination (aside from providing instruction or
encouragement) until the patient has dressed or been covered appropriately.
Compassion
The secret of patient care is in caring for the patient
Compassion
isn’t something a person knows – it’s something a person feels. It is a deep
awareness of the suffering of another, coupled with the wish to relieve it.
This basic
interest in humanity is an essential quality of patient care.
People can
gain compassion through various channels. For some, it is a natural disposition
– perhaps the reason they entered the health care field in the first place.
For others,
compassion slowly emerges with life experience, clinical practice and the
realization that we are all vulnerable to life’s uncertainties. There are many
ways to consciously encourage the growth of compassion. Those who work in
health care can choose whatever pathway works for them.
Once
developed, showing compassion can be as quick and natural as a gentle look or a
reassuring touch.
Developing compassion
·
Get
in touch with the struggles faced by patients through stories, novels, films,
theatre and art
·
Follow
the example of compassionate role models
·
Looks
for ways to identify with those who are ill or suffering
·
Simple ways to show compassion
·
An
understanding look
·
A
gentle touch on the shoulder, arm or hand
·
Some
form of communication, spoken or unspoken, that acknowledges the person and the
human challenges that accompany illness
Dialogue
Communication is the first step toward understanding
At its most
basic level, good health care relies on the constant exchange of information.
To provide the best care possible, health care providers need to gather
accurate details about the whole person, and not just the illness. Dialogue
with patients must acknowledge the person beyond the affliction, and the
emotional impact that accompanies illness.
Here are a
few examples of how a person’s life circumstances could affect the response to
the illness:
·
A
person with severe arthritis who is also an avid pianist
·
A
person with terminal cancer who is the single parent of young children
·
A
person with limited mobility who doesn’t know anyone in the community
Fostering a
sense of trust, openness and honesty can increase the likelihood that someone
will share these important details. Using some simple techniques, health care
providers can develop a more complete understanding of how to support of the
person.
Things to say to
acknowledge personhood
·
This
must be frightening for you.
·
I
can only imagine what you must be going through.
·
It’s
natural to feel overwhelmed at times like this.
Getting to know the
patient
Health care
providers can start the conversation by using the Patient Dignity Question
(PDQ):
What should I know about
you as a person to give you the best care possible?
This
question can yield valuable information to improve the care approach. Here are
some of the answers people have provided:
·
I’m
frightened of authority.
·
I
think people might not think I’m smart enough or important enough to deserve
answers.
·
I
don’t want to die alone.
Other important questions include:
·
At
this time in your life, what are the things that are most important to you, or
that concern you most?
·
Who
else (or what else) will be affected by what’s happening with your health?
·
Who
should be there to help support you? (friends, family, spiritual or religious
support network)
·
Who
else should we get involved at this point, to help support you through this
difficult time? (psychosocial services, group support, chaplaincy,
complementary care specialists)
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