Appreciation Letter from Patient to Doctor

Doctors literally save lives, and an appreciation letter from a patient to a doctor may not seem adequate enough to express the patient’s gratitude, but it can be very meaningful to the doctor. There is a great deal of responsibility associated with practicing medicine, and losing a patient is devastating. This is why letters of appreciation can be useful in encouraging doctors and emphasizing that all of their efforts are worthwhile.

Format and Content

A doctor sees many patients each year; therefore an appreciation letter from a patient to a doctor format should include your name, the dates you were treated by the doctor,a bit about your health challenge and how the doctor helped you. Doctors often keep appreciation letters from patients in a file as they can be encouraging to read later. Although doctors are very busy, they generally have time to focus on appreciation letters.

Sample

This appreciation letter from a patient to a doctor sample involves a patient with a rare disorder that the doctor diagnosed quickly, saving her life. The patient’s condition, rhabdomyolysis, resulted from injury sustained in an auto accident, and could have been fatal if not diagnosed so quickly.

Dear Dr. Woods,

I do not know how to express my gratitude to someone like you who actually saved my life. Following my auto accident, and my overnight stay in the hospital’s trauma center, the other doctors were eager to discharge me to go home. They attributed my symptoms of bruising, pain and muscle weakness to the after effects of my auto accident. I knew something else was wrong, but no one would listen.

When I was completing my discharge papers, I told the nurse that I felt confused and nauseous, but she brushed it off as the result of a traumatic experience. It was only after I became very insistent that another doctor examine me that I met you. I am so thankful that you were on call that evening, because you listened to me explain how I felt, and you were not so determined to get me discharged.

Had you not noticed the odd color of my bruising and run additional tests, my condition of rhabdomyolysis would not have been diagnosed. It is very possible that I might have died at home as undiagnosed rhabdomyolysis can lead to cardiac arrest or liver failure. I am so grateful that you were on call that night and took the time to reexamine my supposedly superficial injuries and listen to my complaints.

It is very likely that I might not be here today were it not for your expertise in noticing small variations in symptoms and your knowledge of rare conditions. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being such a smart, savvy and compassionate doctor.

With Deep Gratitude,

Victoria Brooks