For the past year or two, a pronounced phenomenon of doctor-patient disputes over medical treatment has emerged in China. This hot button has triggered considerable public concern. In contemporary society, it has become an exigent requirement for medical staff and patients to deal with the ever-increasingly intense doctor-patient relationship.

A couple of factors are to blame. Topping the list is that the Chinese media certainly has an imperative role in provoking tension between doctors and patients. To pursue the point of interest, some unscrupulous media may distort the facts, seriously misleading the patients who lack common sense about medical treatment to create prejudice against doctors. Plus, another reason which should not escape our attention is that a small number of medical staff have bad attitude towards patients due to workload, which can give rise to inadequate communication with patients.

Accordingly, it pains me to ponder this problem. The negative energy flowing from this trend is in urgent need of being safeguarded and curbed. Much can be done. For one thing, setting up and improving the system of medical liability insurance is the primary direction in and the chief means of dispersing medical risks and settling medical disputes. For another, a patient must have confidence in the competence of their doctor and must feel that they can trust him or her. For most doctors, the establishment of a good rapport with patients is important. Meanwhile, the Chinese media could cover stories based on an objective perspective.