We'll serve you with a smile. (improving patient-physician relations)(Soundings)

When I see a large notice announcing that a company's policy is to be efficient, courteous, and responsive to customers, my flesh begins to creep. On the day the Patient's Charter was launched, I felt like a worker on a Japanese production line. Somebody had felt it necessary to mailshot my patients with a glossy brochure detailing their rights (to reasonable medical care, to a second opinion when necessary, and to an explanation of their treatment) and the standards they should expect of me (respect for their privacy and dignity, tolerance of their religious beliefs, and consideration of their special needs). I remember thinking, as I chucked the brochure in the bin, how …