Healthcasre Communication

Healthcare Communication is the Key Role in Patient Care

Once common in medical practice was building a good rapport between physicians and patients, but thanks to managed care's toll on physician's time and resources, is now almost obsolete. Gone are the days when physicians and patients actually communicated on a social level. When did physicians stop asking patients about their feelings and concerns? If a physician would encourage their patients to ask questions or voice their concerns about their care, instead of pushing them out of the exam room as fast as they can because they have a waiting room full of other patients waiting to be seen, patients would have more trust in their physicians. They would also be more forgiving if the situation arose.

Effective physician patient communication leads to decreased patient stress levels, improved adherence to treatment, and fewer medical malpractice lawsuits.

Physicians have always relied on nurses to communicate between them and their patients. Instead of taking a few more minutes of their precious time to talk with or reassure their patients, nurses get stuck in the "he said, she said" game. Well it's time to eliminate the middle man and get back to basics. When did simple human kindness and compassion get taken out of health care? What would be the harm in a physician who laughed or joked with their patients? Or, one who empathized with, or had sympathy for a grieving patient? In my opinion, absolutely nothing at all! Showing their patients a more human and humane side of themselves would improve physician-patient relationships on many levels, as well as having a positive effect on patient's health and quality of life.

Communication skills are becoming a core focus of medical education. Training medical students, residents, and physicians with these skills as well as restoring the value of empathy are now being