Bedside Manners

Several things impressed me in your article on how doctors communicate (or don’t) with their patients. First, it’s amazing that it took the medical folks so long to realize that communication and caring are pretty important in treating patients.

Second, if plastic surgeon Robert Miner (past president of the Orange County Medical Assn.) is at all representative, some doctors will never learn. Miner said, “Doctors would really like to have that good bedside manner, but they can’t afford the time. You don’t get paid for being caring.” I don’t believe Miner should be paid for being uncaring, either. Maybe he doesn’t know that caring is part of healing. Perhaps he should reread the Hippocratic oath.

MOLLIE PONEDEL

Beverly Hills