Watch the Patient''s Body and Face
Much of what is conveyed between a
physician and
Patient in a clinical encounter occurs through
nonverbal communication.
For both physician and patient, images of body language and
facial expressions will likely be remembered longer after the encounter than any memory of spoken words.
It is also
important to recognize that the patient-physician encounter involves a two way exchange of nonverbal information. Patient''s facial expressions are often good indicators of sadness, worry, or anxiety. The physician who responds with appropriate concern to these nonverbal cues will likely impact the patient''s illness to a greater degree than the physician wanting to strictly convey factual information.
Be Prepared for a Reaction
Patients vary, not only in their willingness and ability to absorb information, but in their reactions to physician communications. Most physicians quickly develop a sense for the various coping styles of patients, a range of human reactions that has been categorized in several specific clinical settings.
In responding to any of these patient reactions, it is important to be prepared. The first step is for the physician to recognize the response, allowing sufficient time for a full display of emotions. Most importantly, the physician simply needs to listen quietly and attentively to what the patient or family is saying. Sometimes, the physician can encourage patients to express emotions, perhaps even asking them to describe their feelings. The physician''s body language can be crucial in conveying empathic concern in these encounters.
Conclusion:
Simple choices in words, information depth, speech patterns, body position, and facial expression can greatly affect the quality of one-to-one
communication between the patient and physician. To a large degree, these are conscious choices that can be learned and customized by the physician to fit particular patients in clinical situations. Avoiding communications pitfalls and sharpening the basic communication skills can help strengthen the patient-physician bond that many patients and physicians believe is lacking.
There is no shortcut for physician-patient interaction. We have to acknowledge the need of good physician-patient interaction for wide range of benefit out of it. It is our collective responsibility to teach our `future doctors'' this important but basic skill in medicine.
More abstracts about the Communication Skill in Medicine-3