How To Speak Doctor
How to Be a Happier Patient? Find a Doctor Who Sits with You, Study Shows
This is an issue I have heard medical and nursing professors talk about over the years.
What are the best ways for a doctor or nurse to let the patient know one thing: “I’m really listening. Tell me about it.”
Every wise clinician has ways and means of doing that, depending on the patient or the situation.
However, so much of this is doctor or nurse folk wisdom. It is passed down verbally and almost never captured in print. Too touchy-feely to be researched, perhaps?
This time, it was researched.
This study examined what patients thought about how much time the doctor spent with them depending upon whether the doctor sat or stood. That’s it. That’s the only variable.
What did they learn?
A physician who sits down has much more satisfied patients than one who stands—even when the seated doctor actually spent less time with the patient.
In every part of our lives, the one thing most people want is our undivided attention when something important comes up.
Getting the full attention of care-givers is especially important to patients.
Let’s hope there are more studies like this one.
…”I saw this small study showing that the simple act of sitting down while talking to patients can have a profound effect. Many doctors I know already do this, but now there’s some data to support sitting.
“According to the study, performed at a University of Kansas Hospital, a physician documented 120 visits, half of which he conducted sitting, and the other half, standing: (Emphasis added)
“The researchers found that [the researching physician] Arnold’s standing visits lasted an average of 1 minute, 28 seconds. The patients, meanwhile, thought the appointment lasted an average of 3:44.
“When Arnold sat down, the average time spent seated was just over one minute, which was actually shorter than when he stood. But the patients thought he spent more than five minutes in the room. (Emphasis added)
“Overall, patients thought Arnold spent 40 percent more time in the room when he sat down.” (Emphasis added)
“Furthermore, when patients were asked about the interaction, “the ones who saw the seated doctor ‘expressed greater satisfaction and a better sense of understanding of their condition,’ than those who saw the standing doc.”
“So, maybe, while doctors continue to lobby for more time to spend with patients, they can help themselves simply by sitting down in the exam room.”
Source: Medpage Today, April 22, 2010
Topics: How To Speak Doctor
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