Patient care in hospitals has seen many changes . Before WWII, hospitals looked after the poor, but in the 2nd half of the 20th century hospital care concentrated on medical know-how: it became efficient and specialised.
Patient care became multidisciplinary and patients no longer had “their” doctor but were confronted with a variety of specialists. While this is exemplary in terms of therapeutic options, it is often cause for concern as patients receive contradictory information as to tests to be done, the different treatments, their risks and expected results.

Whatever their condition, patients feel that their relationship with doctors has become stressful, whereas the medical staff complain about patients not following doctors’ orders when it comes to taking medicines or changing their lifestyle. This is not just a doctor-patient problem, but often medicine itself is at fault.
It is no longer all about saving lives, but about permanent care. Doctors are not trained for this. Human nature is complex and physicians are not trained to cope with this complexity.
“Hospital Patient Care” offers an analysis of current medical practices, and looks at new, ground-breaking initiatives by doctors who aim to place people at the centre of hospital care. Their working methods are not more costly, but they are much more effective.

AVAILABLE FOR SCREENING: Original French version only