Personally, I think its one of those issues that we all know what the best solution would be "in theory" but in practice is hard to implement, even for the best and most well meaning doctors sometimes. There are times when the pressures of short consultation times and the strict policies and guidelines that have to be met take so much of the doctors' time and energy that it all becomes routine. When this happens, they can fall into the trap of treating patients as mere numbers or 'just another pregnant woman' as in this example, forgetting that for that person, it may be their first time, and therefore a very sensitive or traumatising event. Realising this and consciously learning to empathise with ALL patients I think is the best way forward.
I thin in the case of consultations like this where dealing with vulnerale patients, special time should be set aside to deal with their own issues and not just the doctors agenda, and if that means extending conultation times then so be it. However how far do you go with this? Its a tricky one but I think the best way forward is just training doctors the whole way through their careers on the importance of communication and maybe regular feedback on their own consultations and the impact they have on their patients in order for them to self appraise and improve.
