I am so glad that this discussion is underway. Too many individuals are intimidated by their medical professionals and are afraid to ask questions or to even schedule an appointment or follow-ups. Consumers need to be empowered.

Through my personal experience and working as a medical social worker in a major NYC hospital and as a speaker and psychotherapist in private practice, I learned just how pervasive this lack of communication and understanding between patients and medical practitioners is at this time. A number of my clients suffer from chronic/life altering illnesses and report that they would rather not ask certain questions of their medical professionals. I see how little time the clinicians actually have to spend with each patient and how uncomfortable or unskilled they are in addressing certain issues or even connecting with their patients.

To that end, I developed and conduct workshops to train new physicians on how to talk with their patients and other workshops for consumers to empower them on communicating their needs and how best to talk with their physicians.

These workshops discuss both sides of the communication process; including active listening, how to ask the right questions, delivering and receiving diagnoses, treatment planning and even sex (the most difficult and most avoided of all), among other topics. Whether it’s 5 or 50 minutes (I know, a fantasy at best), the connection can be formed.
If consumers continue to be dismissed and/or intimidated by the medical profession, and clinicians are so busy that they cannot take the time to listen or don’t know how to, then all sense of communication and connection needed will be impossible. This is sure to result in misdiagnosis, self-diagnosis, needless worsening of medical conditions, avoidance of health care altogether and other serious consequences. (Don’t even get me started on insurance issues.)

Keep talking and listening!

From the Wall Street Journal Health Blog

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