How do we begin conceptualizing the “good” in a modern, diverse society in which multiple perspectives and values coexist? Thinking about what constitutes a good life is challenging for healthcare professionals and all of us as current or future patients. However, the challenge of asking big questions to understand our purpose is worth the struggle.
The Role of Trust in Patient Care
Many studies show that patients with obesity face weight-related stigma, which can damage their trust in the healthcare system. I tell my patients that trust should not simply be given but is earned over time. It begins with the question, “How may I help you?”
In proclaiming this question, I am implying that I am competent to help this person through my medical education and experience and will use this in an intellectually honest way to serve my patient’s best interests. Trust is developed in response to the relationship and the practical prescriptions offered to help the patient achieve health and happiness as defined by them.
A Holistic Approach to Health
While prescriptions are often equated with medication, many of my prescriptions also involve counseling, education, and monitoring of lifestyle habits.
Preventive screening, laboratory, imaging, and medication are all essential components of the evaluation and management of health. I often give my patients “homework assignments” that I believe are foundational to achieving one’s goals as they relate to health and happiness. Homework assignments become a desired instrument to empower one to participate in one’s care. These assignments usually begin with a focus on the following four areas: good sleep, good nutrition, good exercise, and good work-life balance.
Empowering Patients Through Personalized Care
“Good” is defined and redefined over time as I get to know the patient and their goals, and I start with what is most important to the patient. In time, these homework assignments turn into personal habits, and these habits turn into the basis of health and happiness as defined by the patient, all suspended by a trusting relationship of care and empowerment.
