Preserving Patient Dignity (Formerly Patient Modesty) Volume 128

 

Here, from EM's post in Volume 127 (November 2 2023) is a wonderful summary of this series of Volumes on Patient Dignity but also about the many years of publication of my blog itself.  EM, thank you, thank youfor your research and evaluation.  ..Maurice

Dr. Bernstein,
Congratulations on your upcoming birthday! I wish you all the best and continued good health.

You have created quite a legacy with this blog. I would like to thank you for the time and effort you have expended over the many years. I am retired now but can’t imagine being dedicated to something for over 20 years. I have seen several other blogs/sites that have addressed the same issues but none that have reached the quality and quantity of the discussions on your blog. It has been very therapeutic for me even though it took 8 years for me to contribute. I agree that the existing content should not be lost no matter what happens to the blog in the future.

I first found the site in 2014 and eventually went back and read all the posts since its inception to gain an understanding of what people have experienced. You added great value to the blog because of your medical background/perspective and thoughtful questions which prompted lively discussion. That does not really occur on other non-moderated platforms although there are responses from classes of people such as doctors or nurses. I don’t know how much time and effort that is required of you to maintain the blog but I would certainly understand if you were ready to step back from it.

I think the concepts of medical modesty/dignity have been thoroughly discussed and illustrated. Most participants in this blog understand what should be done to address the issues but the big question is whether there will be any movement towards the goals in the future or even how to accomplish them. I would hope that societal norms might change to embrace the concepts this blog espouses but due to the looming shortage of medical personal and the major problems the country faces, I am pessimistic that things will change.

The drop-off in readership could be due to a number of reasons. There are newer platforms that people may be more familiar with, such as Quora. I also think that interest in the idea of Medical Modesty/Dignity is somewhat random and occurs when people have a negative experience while seeking medical care. People who have positive experiences generally are not going to be doing searches on the topic. I also think that the horrific state of affairs in this country and the world over the last several years could have distracted people and suppressed interest. I personally find it difficult to think about the blog when we seem to be walking towards nuclear war and the economy/financial future of the country is in jeopardy due to indifference of our elected officials.

EM