Effective Doctor-Patient Communication
EFFECTIVE DOCTOR PATIENT COMMUNICATIONS
INTRODUCTION
1. Patients who rate communication with their physicians as excellent are four times more likely to believe they have received excellent health care than those who do not. Also patients who like the way their physician communicates with them are more likely to comply with their doctor's recommendations and less likely to sue for medical malpractice in the event of a negative outcome.
2. Good doctor-patient communication is influenced by a combination of physician attitudes, behaviours, and interpersonal skills. This paper integrates practical suggestions for enhancing doctor-patient communication as gleaned from a number of excellent guides on this topic.
METHODS OF IMPROVING …show more content…
(b) When in Doubt, Ask the Patient. Research has shown that, among physicians who rated their own communication and understanding of their patients as being highly satisfactory, only 1 in 5 were able to reliably assess patient distress (anxiety and depression) resulting from bad news. It is wise to inquire as to how the patient is feeling about the news you are delivering.
(c) Don't Forget the Basics. Even though it is difficult to do, try not to become desensitised to patients' anxieties about their medical conditions. Remember the old adage: "The only 'minor' surgery is surgery someone else is having." Remember that patients vary widely in the extent to which they want basic rather than detailed information. The best way to determine how much information is enough is to ask the patient. Some tips to be kept in mind when delivering bad news are: -
(i) Don't be too blunt, but do honestly discuss the patient's condition and …show more content…
As stated earlier the patient also has to contribute towards improving communications. The patient and a doctor have a special partnership. Working together, both of them can solve medical problems and follow a plan to keep the patient in good health. It is a good idea to make a list of questions or concerns a patient has before meeting the doctor. A patient can find out how much he or she knows about good doctor-patient communication by taking the quiz placed at Appendix. The quiz is based on information from the National Institute on Aging. Answers require to be in true/false. Comments on the answers are at the end of the
INTRODUCTION
1. Patients who rate communication with their physicians as excellent are four times more likely to believe they have received excellent health care than those who do not. Also patients who like the way their physician communicates with them are more likely to comply with their doctor's recommendations and less likely to sue for medical malpractice in the event of a negative outcome.
2. Good doctor-patient communication is influenced by a combination of physician attitudes, behaviours, and interpersonal skills. This paper integrates practical suggestions for enhancing doctor-patient communication as gleaned from a number of excellent guides on this topic.
METHODS OF IMPROVING …show more content…
(b) When in Doubt, Ask the Patient. Research has shown that, among physicians who rated their own communication and understanding of their patients as being highly satisfactory, only 1 in 5 were able to reliably assess patient distress (anxiety and depression) resulting from bad news. It is wise to inquire as to how the patient is feeling about the news you are delivering.
(c) Don't Forget the Basics. Even though it is difficult to do, try not to become desensitised to patients' anxieties about their medical conditions. Remember the old adage: "The only 'minor' surgery is surgery someone else is having." Remember that patients vary widely in the extent to which they want basic rather than detailed information. The best way to determine how much information is enough is to ask the patient. Some tips to be kept in mind when delivering bad news are: -
(i) Don't be too blunt, but do honestly discuss the patient's condition and …show more content…
As stated earlier the patient also has to contribute towards improving communications. The patient and a doctor have a special partnership. Working together, both of them can solve medical problems and follow a plan to keep the patient in good health. It is a good idea to make a list of questions or concerns a patient has before meeting the doctor. A patient can find out how much he or she knows about good doctor-patient communication by taking the quiz placed at Appendix. The quiz is based on information from the National Institute on Aging. Answers require to be in true/false. Comments on the answers are at the end of the