Social, Political and Economic Factors in the Film
The social, political and economic aspects on which the film is based paints a picture of misfortune, disadvantage and neglect of the helpless by those who are in authority. Similarly, it as well paints a picture of discrimination and inhumane treatment of the less fortunate in the society. Healthcare workers are mean to patients and unfeeling or uncaring to patients especially the unfortunate ones who had no health insurance or access to medical cover.
The film is also reminiscent of an American society that cannot be able to afford the rising cost of healthcare in the country. It also details the struggles of a community in need of healthcare but has no access to a healthcare facility such as a hospital that can sufficiently cater for their healthcare needs. The film depicts a society that is selfish where the rich get their way and the poor remain to suffer in silence. Poor patients and the helpless patients such as the mentally ill were mistreated by the medical staff. Often, the patients cry out for justice and fair treatment but the hospital staff is ignorant of their pleas. Only Patch Adams cares for the neglected patients which gets him in trouble with the hospital’s management from time to time. The movie basically generates an ideology of might, power and influence which is the determinant of quality service for medical care without which patients suffer.
Interviewing skills
An analysis of Dr. Pratt’s interviewing skills reveals a lack of objectivity and mere total disregard of facts before him. He is subconsciously aware that Patch is sane although his evaluation of his mental state leads to an approval that allows him to be recruited into the medical facility as a mental patient. In this regard, Dr. Pratt’s interviewing skills are wanting since he is not concerned with investigating and probing to divulge concerns that are required of him. Further, Dr. Pratt’s approach to interviewing is seemingly biased given the insinuation of a verdict in his inquiry. From the perspective of a third party it is apparent that he has made up his mind that Pratt is insane and that the interview is simply a formality to follow through with.
A don’t care attitude is displayed on the part of Dr. Pratt where he faces away from Pratt while interviewing him. He asks questions without bothering to maintain eye contact which is crucial in gauging the truthfulness of statements and claims made. Moreover, Dr. Pratt consistently maintains a passive approach developing an understanding of reasons provided by Patch to warrant his admission into the hospital as a mental patient. All these factors stipulate that Dr. Pratt is not an active listener as he did not critically evaluate the information that was being provided to him, hence, his interviewing skills can generally be termed as poor.
The same goes for the evaluation of interviewing skills developed by Dr. Walcott the Dean to the medical facility. However, his degree of inhumanity and lack of a caring attitude surpasses that of Dr. Pratt. He is not at all concerned about the welfare of the patient since he does not inquire much into the foundations of his mental illness. He also does not empathize with Path and instead offers a cold hand in figurative terms since he does not explicitly show emotion towards Path’s predicament. He fails to empathize with Path and quickly dismisses him.
The behavior portrayed by the two medical doctors is reflective of the harsh treatment that patients are exposed to in terms of the don’t-care attitude that physicians advance towards innocent patients. It seems that what the hospital values most is the money that the client brings to the hospital. Hence, care and concern is only provided to those who can pay for it while those displaying difficulties in their financial capabilities are met with harsh treatment.
On the other hand the skills that the interviewing skills employed by Patch are quite the opposite from those used by Dr. Pratt and Dr. Walcott. Patch is very attentive and keen, he is also quite empathetic and concerned. Further, he provides a shoulder to lean on in figurative terms for patients who need a word of encouragement despite having terminal diseases. More importantly, his interviewing strategy shows a person who cares about the welfare of the patient, Patch makes patients feel appreciated and important. In contrast to Dean Walcott’s disposition Patch is warm and empathetic to patients’ cries, he gives patients hope that their lives count for something despite the fact that most of them were on their death beds.
In a sense, Patch’s interviewing skills are meant to fill a gap which was left open by the negligence that the hospital staff and management had left between them and the patients. Patch made patients feel as if they were not sick a factor that the hospital staff failed to achieve noting that patients should not have emotional connections with the staff. Ironically, Patch’s methods were found to treat illnesses in patients and improve their health remarkably despite indications of imminent health deterioration previously. Hence, the contrast between the communications approaches to interviewing used by Patch in comparison to that used by Dean Walcott and Dr. Pratt put the two factions at opposite ends of the compass. Moreover, Patch’s interviewing skills develop an understanding or imagery of a concerned healthcare practitioner while Dean Walcott’s and Dr. Pratt’s simply selfish and non-caring feelings.
Similarly, I prefer Patch’s interviewing skills because they also developed admired results that medicine was unable to achieve. The remarkable recovery and health improvement of patients who had engaged in conversation with Dr. Patch is evidence of the therapeutic value of speech that the interview provided to patients in the hospital. Therefore, in my opinion, Patch’s interviewing prowess surpasses that used by Dean Walcott and Dr. Pratt both professionally and morally since it not only brought about therapeutic healing to patients but it also made them fell valued and appreciated as human beings.
