Patients are healthier if they have a polite doctor

When hiring new doctors, healthcare organisations should take into consideration the politeness of the applicant, a US surgeon believes.

Andrew Klein, a liver specialist at the Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles is claiming that the best doctors are those who are well-mannered.

He believes that doctors who are respectful of their colleagues and are not rude to them influence more positive outcomes in operating theatres.

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Klein’s post in the Archives of Surgery journal noted a number of previous studies, the results of which coined this theory of politeness.

One of the studies discussed by Klein found gracious doctors and surgeons were more likely to perform surgical procedures more successfully than others, with less complications and fatalities.

Klein said: “Often, surgeons get hired on the basis of their knowledge, training and technical accomplishments.

“But operating rooms are social environments where everyone must work together for the patients' benefit.

“When a surgeon, who is in the position of power, is rude and belittles the rest of the staff, it affects everything.”