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editor has the last word

Better Patient Communication for Better Outcomes

In my practice, I frequently have patients visiting are well versed in English. For patients with a
to seek a second opinion. And often I find myself weaker educational background, even the common
asking these patients to return back to their medical terms like ‘hypertension’ may seem to be
attending clinician because treatments suggested alien.
and mostly half-underway, are the indicated par- 2. Listen to your patients
for-the-course procedures. Most of these situations, Although your clinical experience may endow
in my view, are born out of a lack of comprehensive you to understand the problem and arrive at the
elucidation of treatment plan i.e. the patient diagnosis within the first few sentences spoken
and their family haven’t been appropriately by the patients, jumping into a rapid conclusion
communicated of the problem and the suggested may in fact, inadvertently hide the actual problem.
solution. Listening to the patients completely helps in
I believe practice of medicine is a partnership
Dr. SuShant umre between us doctors and our patients, more so in uncovering the patient agenda, deeper concerns,
other problems, helpful diagnostic information
dentistry, where during the course of treatment, and potential contraindications in therapeutic
There is no our non-sedated, usually conscious patients may management.
dearth of studies have to bear some amount of discomfort. Naturally, 3. Assure understanding
revealing that good both doctors and patients need to be on the same Even if you avoid clinical jargons, patients most
page, and the parties involved need to have a broad
often forget half the information provided and the
communication understanding of what is to be expected. part they try to remember is sometimes incorrect.
skills of doctors While we the clinicians need to operate with This may cause failure in the expected clinical
improve patient empathy, patients need to go through the procedure outcome as the medicines/therapies you prescribed
may not be followed ‘as is’. The art of disseminating
ungrudgingly. Hence proper communication of the
satisfaction and is treatment plan is indispensable and paramount. the information lies in the hands of the physicians.
usually-half-the- This leads me to the opinion that ‘improved and Divulge the most important information first,
game-won. effective communication’ should be a topic taught make sure your patient understands them,
in medical schools and discussed in medical
and then reveal other information. Repeat the
societies and platforms. explanation if needed. Write down the prescription
Healing a patient always requires a holistic in details. It may be good idea to print out
approach which may involve approaches prescriptions. Keep ready hand-outs of expected
beyond performing treatment procedures. issues post reconstruction, or generic post-surgical
There is no dearth of studies revealing that good instructions.
communication skills of doctors improve patient 4. Be empathetic
satisfaction and is usually-half-the-game-won. Besides assessing the clinical condition of a patient,
There are also the added advantages of interpersonal physicians should also focus on the emotional health
skills helping in 1) gathering better information of the patients. The tone you use to communicate,
to facilitate accurate diagnosis, 2) permitting for your facial expression, body language, eye contact,
better identification of patients’ requirements, the time you spend with your patient, the way you
perceptions, and expectations, 3) helping in proper acknowledge their concerns may relieve their stress
counseling and delivering therapeutic instruction. and allay anxiety. The more empathetic you come
across as, the more the patients are likely to reveal
Tips to Improve communication some clinically pertinent information that they
How do you ensure that there is no communication would otherwise hesitate to disclose.
gap between you and your patients? A better two- 5. End on a positive note
way communication is necessary to achieve the An encouraging ending note means a lot to the
expected clinical outcome. Hence, mastering patients. Hence, finish the conversation keeping
the art of communication is as relevant as your this in mind. Besides that, always inform them on
clinical expertise. I have listed in brief five virtuous how they can contact you again if they have any
guidelines that are useful for every medical doctor: problem or question. Your patients should always
1. Avoid medical jargon get a sense that the doctor is approachable.
It might become natural after almost a decade-long And on that note, we wish you and your patients
medical training for young practitioners, to use a new and improved Doctor-patient relationship.
medical jargons. However, most patients are unable Here’s to more fulfilling and cherish-able treatment
to understand complex medical terms, even if they procedures, both for them and you! n

Dental Practice i November-December 2023 i Vol 19 No 6 89