Communication Counts

The Hospitalist. 2011 February;2011(02):

February 1, 2011 | The Hospitalist

“If you want to improve your career, you need to improve your communication with patients,” says Dr. Williams, who notes that hospitalists often don’t know the areas in which they are weak and strong. “It’s a career killer if you have multiple patient complaints against you.”

Risk Reduction

Being an effective communicator can also reduce one’s risk of being sued for malpractice, says Mitchell Wilson, MD, FHM, chief medical officer of Atlanta-based Eagle Hospital Physicians, which manages hospitalist practices for clients in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. Dr. Wilson’s company believes communication is so important that starting with the very first interview of a hospitalist candidate, it considers the candidate’s ability to communicate by taking note of such things as accents, how they present information, and body language, Dr. Wilson says.

“Communication is one of the top three competencies that are essential to hospitalists,” he says.

Certain aspects of hospitalist work make communication exceedingly important, Dr. Wilson says. Hospitalists are coordinators of a patient’s care; they are caring for patients who are out of their comfort zone; many times the patient is in an extreme health situation; and hospitalized patients are of all different ages and backgrounds.

“If a hospitalist is a poor communicator, I would encourage them to seek additional training,” Dr. Wilson says. TH

Lisa Ryan is a freelance writer based in New Jersey.

Techniques to Improve Doctor-Patient Relationships

When it comes to communicating with patients, hospitalists can learn much from their colleagues in the ED. Common courtesies like knocking on the door, introducing yourself to your patient and family members, being respectful and honest, and listening to what the patient has to say can go a long way to building a relationship with a patient, Dr. Williams says.

“Hospitalists should also be mindful of sitting down and addressing the patient at eye level, and giving information in intervals, so as not to overload the patient,” says Dr. Wilson, who also endorses the “teach-back” method.

Rather than assuming their patients understand what they are being told, hospitalists should use “teach-back” and ask the patient to recount what was just discussed in order to confirm their comprehension, Dr. Wilson explains. It also helps to use plain language, show pictures or diagrams, speak at a moderate to slow pace, and repeat instructions.

Hospitalists should remember that, above all, patients want to be treated with dignity. They want their physicians to ask about the concerns they have and be available to answer questions that arise, Dr. Williams says.

“Thirty to 40 people walk into a patient’s hospital room every day. It’s like a revolving door where names and faces jumble together,” he says. “If at all possible, hospitalists should visit their patients twice a day to cement their role.”

Hospitalists should let their patients know at the outset if there are time constraints. If questions can’t be adequately answered during that visit, schedule a more convenient time.

“When leaving a patient’s room, hospitalists should always thank the patient for trusting them with their care,” Dr. Wilson says.—LR