100 PRACTICAL CASES

In the chapter on kindness there is the following multiple choice question:

How would you provide information to your patient about the diagnosis of a herniated disc in the back?

A) With images available in my consulting room that facilitate the understanding of what a herniated disc is

B) With a definition that is understandable for the patient

C) Providing him with a web page that explains what a herniated disc is

Of the three possible options, let's see the most suitable one based on the concept of one of the ten most important characteristics of a vocational healthcare worker, which is kindness.

Apparently in the three responses there is an interest, on the part of the healthcare worker, in providing information that facilitates the definition of the concept of herniated disc for the patient.

However, the degree of involvement varies in each case; Thus, in option B, there is a perceived interest in the information provided being understood by the patient, avoiding technicalities that make it difficult to understand and, in the same way, it happens in option C, where the fact of providing a web page with the detailed explanation of the concept of a herniated disc, seems to show an interest in the patient being aware of its meaning.

But if we analyze deeper into the degree of involvement of the healthcare worker, in neither of these two options is there a level of kindness and personal involvement with the patient's concern about the impact that a herniated disc may have on his quality of life, like option A, where the understanding of option B and the availability of option C is joined by the personal contribution of the images available for that purpose, in what would be a gesture of greater kindness than in the two previous cases and remembering the well-known phrase that "a picture is worth a thousand words".

It is not enough to appear to be kind...it is necessary to be kind, using the necessary time and dedication.