Communicating with the parent/ patient in this computer day & age .... some tips

Here is a an interesting guest blog that I really liked ...

You can read the entire blog here (requires free registration)

"How I communicate with patients. Here are a few things I am trying to do differently, and which I similarly challenge you to implement.

1. As you enter the exam room, don’t head for the keyboard, head for the patient. Introduce yourself, ask who accompanies the patient, shake everyone’s hand and thank them for coming.

2. Square your shoulders — to the patient, not the computer. In today’s world of medicine, navigating the computer is a necessity, but at the beginning and end of every visit, take all focus off the computer and square your shoulders to the patient as you speak, educate, and counsel.

3. Find natural ways to weave friendly conversation into your exam visit while maintaining focus on your history taking, exam, decision making, and treatment. Quite possibly the most difficult skill of all, this requires emotional intelligence, clinical expertise, and professional focus.

What other lessons can we learn about patient care, either as patients or physicians?

What can physicians do to ensure the focus remains on the patient and not the computer?

What are some suggestions for weaving friendly conversation into patient visits without appearing to be distracted by the conversation?

Steve Christiansen is an ophthalmology resident who blogs at EyeSteve.  He can be reached on Twitter @EyeSteve.

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