Doc, Did You Hear Me?

As physicians, we are trained to hear beyond a patient’s words. We think of ourselves as great listeners, or at least better than average. However, when the shoe is on the other foot, we may begin to see things differently.

Last February, I had a fall at home. It involved stairs and a 100-pound dog, and I knew I tore my LCL. Again. I’ve done this before and have all the PT equipment for it at home. I rested it for several days, and iced it aggressively, then began home PT. Long story short, it wasn’t healing. My PCP ignored my requests for a knee exam, imaging or a referral. I persisted and got referral to Orthopedics more than 6 months later.

Dr. Ortho was a young guy, you know, mid-forties. He got an xray before he even said hello. He did his exam, which he said was concerning for not only a torn LCL, but also a torn lateral meniscus. He then proceeded to go over the xray with me. Mind you, I told him I am a physician. “This is your knee. This is the femur. This is the patella, also known as the knee cap. This is your tibia, and your fibula.” In that moment, I felt unheard. I felt he was talking down to me. I felt…unimportant. After being ignored by my PCP for several months, I was a bit indignant.

I tried not to roll my eyes, I really did. He rolled his eyes right back and said, “Nan, I’m just trying to orient you. Look here. That is not a normal joint space,” pointing at the xray. He explained that I would need an MR to determine if my tears could be fixed arthroscopically, or if I would need an open procedure. He also took the time to explain that I have osteoarthritis, and fixing the tears won’t fix that. He sat down and discussed all my options, and the pros and cons of each. His staff scheduled the MRI, and I waited. About a week later, I got a call from his office: “This is Dr. Ortho. I have your MRI results.” Yes, that’s right. He called me personally with the results. My PCP has never done this. It went a long way to restore my faith.

At some point in time, every one of our patients has been ignored, discounted, belittled, or condescended. They enter our workspace carrying that baggage, and through it, they interpret everything we do. As physicians, we can set a tone that encourages them to set down that baggage. A single phone call, or an extra 3 minutes in an office visit, can rock their world. It can change their view of all physicians.

Why is it important to restore their faith in us as physicians? Well, it creates connection and heals relationships. It improves outcomes. Most of us would like to have great relationships with our patients. ?All of us want to see our patients get their best possible outcome. How can you help someone set down their baggage?

Dehlia Arnold Angela Crumpton Cathy Gordon Diane Graff RHIT,CCS Lisa Hays Annette Hinton

#activelistening #effectivecommunication #baggage