Manners?

 The NY Times has an interesting piece on how to address people. The specific case is in addressing physicians or other professionals. They note:

Dr. Yul Yang, a dermatologist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., addresses all of his patients with an honorific — Mr. or Mrs. or Ms. — even if they ask him to use their first names. It is a sign of respect and a way of distinguishing his professional role as a doctor from a more personal role as a friend or confidant. But many patients do not reciprocate, calling him Yul instead of Dr. Yang. He finds that “kind of awkward,” he said, though he lets it pass. But Dr. Yang and his colleagues began to wonder: How often do patients call doctors by their first names? It wasn’t easy to answer this question, but Dr. Yang and his co-authors found a way — by studying tens of thousands of emails that patients sent to doctors at his institution. The results, published last week in the journal JAMA Network Open, appeared to illustrate a few themes about which doctors find themselves on a first-name basis with the people they care for.

The JAMA article states:

Whether being informally addressed by other medical professionals or patients, untitling (not using a person’s proper title) may have a negative impact on physicians, demonstrate lack of respect, and can lead to reduction in formality of the physician-patient relationship or workplace. Institutional leadership and individual efforts should focus on a supportive culture, with particular attention spent to address potential unconscious biases as revealed here. Such efforts could include formal guidelines, practice changes, direct patient education, and further research to explore other areas of unconscious bias.

 Now there is more here than meets the eye. First in my old 5th edition of Harrisons, the budding physician was told to address patients as Mr or Mrs or Miss, whatever was appropriate. First names were never to be used. The physician was always Doctor.

But in today's world the staff always calls out one's given name, that is your first name. But "given name" has some rather negative connotations as well. If one recalls, the Slave Master gave names to their slaves, the slaves never has a family name since they were property and treated as such. At best they were called Joseph or Sara or whatever the Slave Master so decided. The Plantation owner was Mister or Master never did one use their given name, that would destroy the bondage relationship.

Now ironically my given name is that of a Roman African slave, Tenentius Publius Afer, the greatest comedy writer in Rome. Strange that Terence wrote comedy, for in it he told of the Roman foibles in humor, sort of like the Norman Lear of 100 BC. 

I still use honorifics unless and until I have developed a personal relationship agreed to by both parties. Furthermore when in a medical environment I remain with Dr or whatever the appropriate title is.

Perhaps a return to formality will enhance relationships. Just a thought. By the way, please do not call me Terrence! My mother used that when I was allegedly in some trouble and I have a severe limbic valence response.