When your Best is not Good Enough

Excerpt

“My one regret is that you never called back last night, you deserted him at the end”. I hung up the phone. The devastated wife of a patient had in one sentence made me feel like a heartless and negligent doctor. As the shock and regret started to pass, feelings of anger crept in. I guiltily allowed myself to think that this was a difficult patient, that I could not have done more. Almost stealthily I allowed myself a peek at the internet to determine the definition of a difficult patient. At first glance the guilt and self-doubt returned as I learned that “difficult patients do not exist, only difficult consultations”. It appeared that perhaps I was responsible and failed this patient and his family. I felt totally deflated. Objectively, I reviewed the clinical notes again. …