A physician was telling me about a total patient communication fail. He did not know it was a fail, until a resident jumped in and saved the day. He laughed, recounting the scene to me. He thought he was doing fine. He thought he was being clear. But when he heard the resident’s language, he […]
4 benefits to eliciting patient knowledge
Einstein famously promoted the value of curiosity, in life and in scientific endeavor. This episode asks you to try taking an attitude of curiosity–toward patient knowledge. Patient or ‘lay’ knowledge is an important part of patient communication. And wow, does it vary widely. I’m inviting you to think about how you take up and make […]
Laser-focus your patient education efforts with this one question
Many physicians have talked with me about improving their patient education. This makes sense; it’s a topic tightly woven together with patient communication and health literacy. So, several months ago I wrote “5 steps to improve your patient education.” It’s a quick fly-over of many educational strategies. I promised I would gradually dive deeper into […]
Quickly assess your patient communication with this time-tested approach
The physicians who speak with me want to be more conscious of their language. They know communication is important, and they want to know more about how language works, so they can be better doctors. That’s often why they’re talking with me. Their questions take different forms: What do I need to know about communication […]
How to pivot when your patient education isn’t working
Sometimes, patient teaching just doesn’t go well. You’re doing what you can, but you can tell you’re not getting through. There is hope! In this episode, you’ll learn why you want to separate your plan from your goals how to pivot in the moment three steps that will shift a patient education that’s not going […]
How to pivot when your patient education isn’t working
This week, I’ll start with a scary story. The clock is ticking. The spotlight is on you. You’re the person everyone wants a part of. And you’re in the middle of educating a patient on a crucial topic. But it’s going nowhere. Crickets. “The strategy I’ve been recommending for years was not working.” “I was […]