I believe good medical science combined with an ability to relate to patients and their needs is important. One of our patients is heavily addicted to crack and is diabetic. While he is trying to recover from his addiction, he is replacing that addiction with overeating, making it more difficult to control his blood sugar levels and diabetes. Being supportive of his effort to move away from crack, and the damage it is doing to his body, seems more important at this stage in his care. Addressing one of his primary reasons for engaging in care is important, as it will hopefully keep him engaged, and allow us to treat his other medical problems.
Another patient of ours is paranoid schizophrenic; she often has horrible hallucinations that make her fearful of people and different environments. The ability of our medical team to create a calming and safe environment for her is essential to engaging her in care. Once we were able to do that, the use of anti-psychotic drugs has dramatically decreased her level of paranoia and fearful hallucinations. Furthermore, she is able to take her other HIV medications and get linked with a regular mental health provider.
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