Doctor, Shut Up and Listen

by Nirmal Joshijan

NY Times, 1.5.2015

Image from NY Times

A doctor’s ability to explain, listen and empathize has a profound impact on a patient’s care. Yet, as one survey found, two out of every three patients are discharged from the hospital without even knowing their diagnosis. Another study discovered that in over 60 percent of cases, patients misunderstood directions after a visit to their doctor’s office. And on average, physicians wait just 18 seconds before interrupting patients’ narratives of their symptoms. Evidently, we have a long way to go.

This is a useful Op-Ed piece about the importance of doctor-patient communication. Communication is especially important when one is dealing with matters of death and dying.