Whitney Palmer

Tips for Radiologists for Talking to Patients

Published on the Dec. 1, 2015, DiagnosticImaging.com website

By Whitney L.J. Howell

As a radiologist, one of the most important – and sometimes difficult – things you will do is deliver news to a patient. Some revelations will be good; some will be bad. Others could include taking responsibility for unintentional errors. Your no. 1 primary goal is making sure the patient understands what you’re saying.

When disclosing findings or a mistake to a patient, he said, the most important thing to consider is how you might want to receive the news. Remember these conversations are two-way discussions – you can’t simply impart information and walk away. Anticipate a patient might exhibit a wide range of emotions, ask a lot of questions, or sit silently to process the information.

Part of your role, he said, is to make the patient feel cared for, heard, and respected while you try to develop a plan that will accommodate his or her wishes. In some cases, mnemonic devices can help you remember the framework for navigating these conversations. For example, SPIKES stands for: setting and listening skills, patient perception, invite patient to share information, knowledge transmission, explore emotions, and summarize and strategize.

A mnemonic device can really only be guide, however, he said. Scripting these conversations is impossible.

“Just like live musicians that improvise with harmony, melody, rhythm, and choral progression, you must be able to incorporate sensitivity, comfort, compassion, empathy, and appropriateness into these discussions,” Brown said.

Both nonverbal and verbal communication skills are important when delivering good or bad news, he said.

To read the remainder of the article at its original location: http://www.diagnosticimaging.com/rsna-2015/tips-radiologists-talking-patients

December 1, 2015 - Posted by wjpalmer | Healthcare | delivering bad news to patients, delivering good news to patients, improving communication with patients, radiologist and patient communication, Stephen Brown MD