What can hinder physician-patient communication?

Jun 4, 2015

There may be many barriers to effective physician-patient communication. Patients may feel that they are wasting the physician's valuable time; omit details of their history which they deem unimportant; be embarrassed to mention things they think will place them...

What happens when physicians and patients disagree?

Jun 4, 2015

One third to one half of patients will fail to follow a physician's treatment recommendations. Labeling such patients "noncompliant" implicitly supports an attitude of paternalism, in which the physician knows best. Patients filter physician instructions...

Tips for Dealing with the Drug-seeking Patient

May 28, 2015

Physicians often lack training in communications skills that would enable them to navigate challenging patient encounters effectively. “Difficult” patients have specific obstructive behaviors that make it hard to establish a successful doctor-patient partnership and...

Tips For Doctors

Apr 2, 2015

You should do whatever you can to protect patients' modesty and dignity. Many patients value modesty. Think about how you would feel if you had to strip naked in front of a bunch of people. Listen to patients' concerns about modesty carefully and work hard to...

Etiquette Tips for Medical Practices

Mar 26, 2015

Good manners lead to highly satisfied patients. Here are our top 15 etiquette tips for physicians and staff. Introduce yourself — even if you are wearing a name tag, even if you are the third or fourth person to see patients during their visits, and even if they might...