How Doctors and Patients Communicate

Much has been written about the doctor-patient relationship and how important good communication is in healing relationships. Yet there are so many things in today's practice of medicine that make it hard for doctors and patients to talk to each other. Equally - if not more - important, is to really listen to each other. This issue of our newsletter will explore various aspects of physician-patient communication. Enjoy!

Wayne Jonas, MD, writes that "after 40 years as a practicing physician, I have concluded that the burden of treating chronic diseases has grown so enormous that more pills and procedures will never be enough to cure the ills of my patients." He contends that doctors must play a role in supporting patients' efforts at self-care. That includes talking to them about it, not just handing them an instruction sheet or sending them off to a class.

In his article, he describes the results of two recent surveys from the Samueli Foundation that found a big disconnect between doctors and patients when it comes to self-care. Patients would welcome a conversation about it but many doctors believe their patients would not be interested. It raises the question: When it comes to chronic illness care, do we need more talk and fewer prescriptions? READ MORE

Have you ever felt like your doctor wasn't really paying attention to you when you were describing your medical history? I certainly have. That is why I love Michael Millenson's wonderful story about three successful strategies used by patients to "short-circuit being given the short shrift." "Getting Your Doctor to Really See You" is not only a great read but it may also help you to get your doctor to truly engage with you as a person. READ THE FULL STORY.

Poor communication can have disastrous consequences as illustrated in this article by David Troxel, MD and Robin Diamond, MSN, JD, RN - both experts in medicolegal issues. (This post was sponsored by The Doctors Company, the nation’s largest physician-owned medical malpractice insurer.) Although the case they describe may seem like an unfortunate series of missteps, at its core the problem was a failure to communicate at many different levels. It led to a delayed diagnosis of breast cancer, an outcome that could have been prevented. READ MORE. And be sure to watch the accompanying videos.

Cancer patient, Sharon Ben-Or describes how anger and depression after multiple readmissions led her to lose trust in her doctor. She writes,

"I didn’t need my surgeon to cheer me up. I needed him to acknowledge my feelings. I needed to be heard by my doctor...All that I wanted him to do was to tell me, 'I know that this whole situation sucks, and I’m sorry that you have to go through this.' When he finally said those words, it was too late. I had lost trust in him and all surgeons."

Ironically, Ben-Or is a surgeon herself. And, her surgeon was also her friend and colleague. This is a poignant story about how they were able to work through the communication issues and repair their relationship. READ THE FULL STORY.

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