Effective Patient-Physician Communication - A Concise Review

Abstract

Current medical care is heavily reliant on the use of evidence-based guidelines dealing with diagnosis and therapy. The burgeoning medical literature, easy availability of medical information in the social media and consumerism has increased the additional number of issues discussed during a patient physician meeting. Inability to satisfy the patient or their families due to poor communication skills of physicians remains an universal challenge all over the world. Poor patient physician communication decrease patient compliance to treatment strategies, poor patient satisfaction scores and on the extreme lead to violence directed to physicians. Most medical schools and residency programs have incorporated patient-physician's communication skills in their curriculum. Similar opportunities to improve communication skills are available for practicing physicians. There are numerous tools that can be readily incorporated to improve the quality of patient physician communication. Communicating remotely with patients in the new era of COVD-19 using telehealth technology needs development of new skills that can be easily taught. Every physician need to periodically assess their own communication skills, and seek out conferences and learning opportunities within their hospitals, state, national or international medical community to continue learning and practicing new communication skills.