ABSTRACT
In the preceding chapter, Kuhn suggested that the physician-patient relationship is different, in some respects, from that of social worker and client. One such difference, according to Kuhn, was that the social worker is “assigned” a client while the physician “accepts” a patient. Physicians have long known that “the bedside manner” is an important adjunct to the physical treatment of a patient. But it is doubtful whether they have ever made a study of the various forms it may take and why it is necessary. Since the relation between doctor and patient is usually a voluntary one and positively motivated on both sides, one might assume that the relationship is also a cooperative one. But human interactions are complex. Professor Freidson examines the element of conflict in the doctor-patient relationship, thereby illuminating some of the complexities in human interactions generally.
