How can you improve patient care for rare gastrointestinal diseases with active listening?

Treatment incorporated with these sense organs will give more results for a practitioner, for consultation give importance to the Eyes(a keen observation which should start from the patient entering your room, till he /she leaves the room), Ear(active listening to what they are delivering), touch( along with palpatory, method if you could give an empathetic touch that would help them to get more comfortable and confidence).

One thing I've found helpful is that active listening enhances trust, fostering a supportive environment and addressing not only the medical condition of the patient but also impacting their emotional status. Through active listening, I am able to understand the specific needs of the patient that need to be met.

While I'm not a nurse, I believe that it's just as critical for medical doctors to listen actively to all clients. My clients often express that I'm one of the few doctors they know who listen and actually hear them. I believe having a holistic understanding and viewpoint is critical for active listening. As an integrative doc who also uses traditional Chinese medicine, I have a very unique viewpoint for many symptoms and conditions, especially gastrointestinal conditions, which allows me to receive what my clients are expressing. I believe that true collaboration is where healing can take place.

Adding perspective: My training and experience informs me, as well, and I employ the SAMPLE history with OPQRST method: inquire of signs and symptoms and onset as to when the condition began: does anything make it worse or better; if pain is present, what is the quality, radiation and severity, and timing. What Allergies does the patient have; what medications; what about past medical history; last oral intake; and events leading up to the current ailment. I listen carefully while eliciting the patient’s responses and pay attention to the patient observable presentation, mental status, and speech, as well as posture, skin presentation and family members or friends accompanying the patient.

As a former patient of GI doctors, I feel active listening is not just about hearing what I say; it's about understanding my experiences, fears, and hopes. Drs too often are ready to recommend pills and procedures and move on to the next patient. For me: Provide Psychological Comfort: Knowing that my healthcare team is genuinely listening and caring for me provides immense psychological comfort. Feeling Heard and Understood: When doctors and nurses actively listen, it helps me feel that they truly understand my unique symptoms and concerns. Build Trust: Trust is essential in any patient-doctor relationship. When I feel listened to, I'm more likely to trust my healthcare team, which makes me more comfortable sharing and following advice.

Active listening is important for rare GI diseases, for functional GI disorders and inflammatory disorders. All of these are chronic, greatly impacting quality of life, social life, family life etc. Chronic disease often leads patients to socially isolate. Active listening entails picking up on these signs and signals.

‘I hear you’, ‘I can understand the impact’, acknowledging is key. Also manage expectations: often there is no cure, but treatments that can manage severe symptoms and thereby contribute to patients leading a more normal life, and have a better quality of life. It is also important to emphasise thar they are not alone, that there are good reputable online sources of information information, peer groups.

The key is providing targeted, individual treatment and make the patient literally feel you have taken them seriously and apart from actively listening also actively acting and providing targeted treatment and solutions. We should listen and treat the diseaseD, not only the disease.