Doctor - Patient Communication Key skills for an effective relationship

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Doctor - Patient CommunicationKey skills for an
effective relationship

• Laurence H. Baker PhD
• Bakerlh_at_teleport.com

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Key Communication Skills

• Make a personal connection
• Empathy
• Reflective listening
• Agenda setting

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Communication Matters

• Health outcomes
• Diagnostic accuracy
• Adherence or concordance
• Patient satisfaction
• Clinician satisfaction
• Complaints and litigation

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Communication Affects Health Outcomes

• Emotional health
• Symptom resolution
• Functional status
• Physiological measures
• Blood pressure
• HbA1C

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Co-Creating an Agenda

• Demonstrates interest in patients concerns
• Plan the use of time in the visit
• Promotes successful use of EHR
• Appeals to clinician WIFM

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Steps to followPhase I The Patients View

• Brief, warm social connection
• Orienting statement by doctor
• Eliciting patients agenda
• Review MAs entry
• Review patients form

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Steps to followPhase II Clarify and Negotiate

• Triage to assess priority
• Clinicians items (e.g., foot exam)
• Negotiating final agenda

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Co-Creating an Agenda

• Demonstration

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Supporting Clinician Change

• As with patients, knowledge is not sufficient
• Address clinicians WIFM
• Individualize goals
• Practice, practice, practice
• Reminders and follow-up leverage the investment

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Questions