Doctor’s Diary April 2, 2019: An effective doctor office visit for physicians

(Snippets from the frontline)

An effective doctor office visit for physicians

Healthcare has changed in the past decade, making the doctor office visit integral in sustaining patient medical care.

Here are suggestions to physicians caring for patients in their office:

• be familiar with the medical chart before seeing the patient;
• sit down;
• look at the patient more than the computer;
• don’t be in a hurry;
• listen;
• be respectful – as you might talk with your mother or father;
• ask questions, and make sure they understand what you have asked;
• let patients complete their thought or sentence;
• involve the family and caregiver;
• go over medication and recent studies;
• encourage patients to take notes, or bring an advocate for a second set of ears;
• allocate time for their questions;
• minimize interruptions (outside phone calls or knocks on the door);
• if the patient is alone, with permission, offer to call a family member if you don’t feel the patient understood important aspects of the visit;
• find something of personal importance to remember each patient (like grandkids or accomplishments);
• treat each patient like you want your loved one to be treated by their doctor.

The effectiveness of this visit is essential to assure patient healthcare is continually maintained.

Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D.