An OB-GYN and I were talking about a recent presentation she’d seen from a leader in her field. I heard in her voice how much she’d enjoyed the presentation, and we spent some significant time talking about it. She was encouraged by this physician’s thoughtful comments on some of the complexities in physician/patient communication. She […]
News
“I can’t follow my patient home”
Health is not a level playing field. To understand people’s health-related actions and words, it is helpful to consider the influence of context. In this episode, you’ll learn about the relationships between context and our language, thinking, and health why it’s important to take context into account one simple question you can ask your next […]
How cell phones can help you with patients’ health literacy
A medical educator recently gave me some feedback from her students on a talk I’d given: “They thought you had many great points about communicating with patients, and liked the point you made about cell phones.” As a literacy researcher and educator, I have spent years talking with folks about health literacy. My emphasis is on […]
When it feels like a culture gap between you and your patient
I am continuously meeting providers who are seeking out new ways to connect meaningfully with patients. The practitioners I meet want to be able to speak clearly and convincingly to any patient. Even–and especially–when there are significant cultural differences. Some of them have told me they feel like a better doctor when they can share […]
From “pee-pee” to “pee” to “urine:” how words work in health
I get to say ‘pee pee’ a lot in this episode about improving patient communication. You’ll learn: some of what we take for granted when we speak the work that words do in health-related conversations 3 things you can do to improve your communication with your next patient. EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Hi. I’m Dr. Anne Marie […]
25 different ways to elicit important information
I recently heard a Family Practice Physician comment on the importance of follow-up questions. He mentioned how it’s easy to ask a patient, “Do you smoke?” and if their answer is “no,” to move on to the next issue. He said providers were “missing opportunities for follow up questions,” even though the patient had said […]