Communication Critical to Patient Care

 

 

 

A recent article in the New York Times, stressed the dangers of lack of communication. This article focused on lack of communication among a patient's physicians, but the lesson I stress in Patient Confidential, Tips and Advice To Keep You Safe As You Navigate the Healthcare System, about patient involvement, understanding and empowerment is a part of the solution. For example, if patients or their caregivers are constantly asking questions of every physician, nurse or technician who comes into their hospital room to do something, and not letting anything be done without an explanation, the effect of lack of communication among the doctors would be blunted.

 

Of course, asking questions and understanding what is being done and why before it is done, is important in all other medical encounters too, like office visits, tests, medications, physical therapy sessions and so on.