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Jeff welcomes to the podcast Bradley Block, otolaryngologist and host of the podcast, the Physician’s Guide to Doctoring.

Brad started his podcast because he was looking for resources to help him communicate better with his patients. He covers a variety of topics that are geared towards assisting physicians to be the best version of themselves in and out of the exam room.

In any doctor-patient encounter, both parties want the same thing: to move in the direction of better health. To make this happen during the encounter, there’s what the physician needs and what the patient wants. The physician needs to acquire the information to arrive at a diagnosis, and the patient wants to be heard.

How can we accomplish both?

What steps does Brad suggest we take to meet the needs of the doctor and the patient more effectively and efficiently?

• Step 1 - Look the patient in the eye long enough to note the color of their eyes. Often when we enter the exam room, we are reviewing notes or charts and may not proactively address the patient. This only takes a few extra seconds, but goes a long way to making the patient feel seen.
• Step 2 - Notice something about the patient. This can be something as trivial as what the patient is wearing, or asking if they have any upcoming plans. This makes it obvious that you are recognizing the patient as more than just the sum of their symptoms.
• Step 3 - Ask the patient what worries them about their symptoms. This is called asking the question behind the question. It’s one thing to ask a patient about their symptoms, but asking them what worries them about those symptoms takes things to another level.

Most importantly, practice improving patient interactions!

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