In reading all social media sites looking for information about clinical skills and the Step 2 CS exam, I found a terrific blog about doctor-patient communications! Go here to find Mind the Gap: Patient Physician Communication. The title of the current article is so good, I will re-post it here: Effective Communications between Physicians and Patients is not Optional…And cannot be Delegated Away. The rules that are addressed here are not only important for your practice, they are VITAL for the Step 2 CS exam in evaluating your clinical skills. Here is a clip from the article.
The Accuracy Of The Physician’s Diagnosis And Treatment Is Completely Dependent Upon Their Ability To “Get The Patient To Open Up And Tell Them What’s Wrong” As Sir William Osler, the founder of modern medicine once said, if you listen to the patient they will tell you what the problems is. Osler teaching underscores the importance of the physician’s ability to talk and listen to the patient’s story. The same can be said for the sharing of information, the asking of questions, expressing empathy and support and shared decision making throughout the medical interview. How can anyone – physician or administrator – think for a moment that it’s OK for physicians, not matter how busy they are, to just “get by” with anything but great patient communication skills?
I could not have said it better myself! Click here to read the whole article! Well worth your time.