Connecting With Patients Without Sacrificing Efficiency

Dr. S was sharing with me that she has been doing her patient charts on Sundays. She enjoys the connection with her patients. Sometimes she has the whole family as patients. Besides charting, she has a difficult time in keeping up with the in-basket tasks and phone calls. She ends up also having to chart in the evenings, after she puts her two young children to bed. One colleague told her that she cared too much and that was why she was not able to finish her work on time.

One of the most rewarding things in medicine is developing meaningful relationships with the patients and their families. The continuity of care allows long-term relationships to develop. This does not mean a physician has to spend an extra 10-15 minutes on each patient encounter to ensure a good relationship.

It is possible to have meaningful relationships with patients and be efficient. It is possible to have a fulfilling day and go home on time with your work done.

Your past does not define who you are. Even if you have not been able to go home on time with your work done, that does not mean that this is where you will stay. If you want your results to be different, take a different approach. Do something different.

The initial step is to believe. Believe that it is possible to have special connections with patients and be efficient. They can co-exist. I do not believe there is “care too much” about a patient. I care about all my patients and I enjoy the bonds we establish.

As a physician, you get to set the tone for the patient visit. It actually starts from the front desk. Staff members who are kind and compassionate make a significant impact on patients. Some patients decide to leave a practice even though they like their doctor because of unsatisfactory experience with the other staff members.

When you walk into the exam room, greet the patient with a smile. Focus on the patient and make sure the patient knows that they have your 100% attention. Sit down so you are facing the patient. Establish eye contact and listen attentively. If you are able to type and look at the patient simultaneously, do it. Otherwise, it may be better to dictate outside of the exam room or use a scribe.

Always be curious, without judgment. Ask questions to clarify what the patient is telling you. Make sure you give them feedback.

It is important to be conscious of the time. It is okay not to discuss the patient’s whole life story in order to establish a valuable connection with the patient. If the patient presents with multiple issues, that particular visit may not be a good time to talk much about non-medical issues.

It is also about setting boundaries. I believe a meaningful relationship with a patient is based on kindness and love. As long as you base the doctor-patient relationship on those, your interaction and your words will be out of love and kindness that the patient can experience. Sometimes it is an extra sentence or a gesture to show how you feel toward the patient. As you are guiding the direction of the patient encounter, you may decide to address certain issues in another visit rather than hastily tackle everything.

As a hematologist and oncologist, it is very important for my patients to develop trust and connection beyond the disease diagnosis. This is done without sacrificing the quality of care or the efficiency to finish my clinic day on time. Ask questions and let the patients talk, while guiding the direction of the conversation at the same time. Pay attention to what they say and their unspoken language. Always summarize for the patient at the end of the encounter. You are in more control than you think in the time management.