Clear communication is one of the most powerful tools in healthcare. Healing begins when we sit close, speak simply, and remember that care is about people, not just disease.
A friend went to an oncologist for a medical problem. Yes, there was a problem, the doctor said – and then proceeded to explain in complicated medical terminology. Words and explanations that were totally out of my friend’s (and most people’s) knowledge and comprehension.
A personal and all-too-common example comes from the time my mother and I were at her oncology appointment. She was sitting on the end of the exam table in a skinny, open-backed gown. The doctor was explaining her disease progress and prognosis. All the while he was talking, she was nodding her head up and down as you would if you understood and agreed. I didn’t understand what he was talking about despite my medical knowledge, so I knew she didn’t. Also, he was standing several feet away from her, arms folded. I’m sorry to say this is not an isolated occurrence.
People don’t want complicated medical explanations from their doctors or medical people. They want simple, everyday words. They want guidance, reassurance and support as well as information. They want truth and options in a format they can understand. I had a friend say, “I have a PHD, but that doesn’t mean I understand the language of medicine.”
Did you notice in my explanation above that the doctor was standing and actually a good distance away as he talked? When talking to really be heard, sit close enough to touch and at or below eye level. You are setting the stage to be heard — really heard and understood.
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