The only group more desperate to talk with the treating physician or surgeon than the patient is the patient’s family. If it were possible, every physician would strive to round and see his or her patients three times a day. Except for patients in the most desperate of situations, this is simply not feasible. So let’s assume you can only round once a day. When should that be? In the evening (except on weekends and holidays, of course), because that’s when most patients have visitors there and when there will be the highest likelihood of seeing the patient’s family at the same time.
Whenever I’ve been a patient myself, I immediately call my wife and other family members to relay anything the doctors have said to me. I know that I’m no different from any other patient. The family loves to hear directly from the physician. They wait and live for it. They have questions and concerns. They may actually be asking questions that the patient feels uncomfortable asking the doctor. Many patients are genuinely concerned their doctor might become angry or upset with them if they ask too many questions or appear to question a judgment. So often it will be a family member at the bedside that sticks up for the patient and asks the important, tough questions.
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