outcome. Explain everything slowly,
clearly and in understandable terms —
as if you are talking to a family member
who knows nothing about health care.
3. A non-distracted
physician. Nobody wants to pour their
heart out to somebody who is not fully
present in the conversation. No turning
around, clicking, or looking elsewhere for
extended periods of time. This is patient
face time, not screen time. A technique
that I use, that gets very positive
feedback: I actually ditch the computer
completely, especially when meeting a
patient for the first time. I sit opposite
them, lean in, and am fully present. I jot
notes down on a piece of paper on my
lap. Patients love it (actually anyone
would like that kind of service when they
are explaining something in a
professional situation, even at Home
Depot!). Writing things down when face-
to-face with someone, subconsciously
gives a better impression that you are
concentrating and mentally processing,
rather than typing on a keyboard and
turning at a screen. It just does.
So these are just three things that any
physician should strive to do in their
interaction, to give their patients the
experience they deserve. It may just be
another “name on the list” for us — but
for patients who may have waited hours
or days to see us, it’s the part of their day
that they will usually remember and
appreciate the most.
“ We are already very
good with our scientific
knowledge and have
stellar treatments at our
disposal—but it’s the
human side that is too
often forgotten. Sure,
time is tough, and not
available in abundance.
But even just an extra
minute or two can make
a huge difference.”
Suneel Dhand, MD
Over my years of treating thousands of
patients, seeing so many misunderstandings
and poor interactions, and now being in a
position where I am teaching many of
these skills — I am really of the belief that
what patients ask for is really not that
much. We are already very good with our
scientific knowledge and have stellar
treatments at our disposal — but it’s the
human side that is too often forgotten.
Sure, time is tough, and not available in
abundance. But even just an extra minute
or two can make a huge difference.
What I am saying here may not sound
“trendy or fashionable” to lots of folks.
Scroll the Twitter and LinkedIn feeds of
many of our administrators and
technologists, who are now dominating
health care, and you’ll soon see why the
above is the last thing they want to hear.
To lots of them, health care is all about
spreadsheets and numbers, expensive
new technologies, and building factory-
like processes. But it really isn’t, and
never will be. Unfortunately too, the
doctor-patient relationship is something
that may even be intimidating to many
administrators — because it’s something
that they can’t “get to” or really control.
It shouldn’t be that way.
We are currently in a health care
swamp of epic proportions, where we
lose the forest for the trees. We keep
moving further away from the frontlines,
among a tidal wave of bureaucracy. Of
course, a sector as big as health care does
need some oversight, rules, and
regulations — but we’ve gone too far.
That moment when a physician sits
down with their patient, is what the
practice of medicine is all about, and
should take front and center stage in any
health care system. So Doctor, this is your
time. Make the most of it and let’s give
patients what they deserve when we are
face-to-face. Even if the rest of the world
around us feels like its tumbling down.
Read this and other articles at
www.PhysiciansOfficeNews.com
17