Despite our best efforts, not every doctor-patient relationship is a positive one. While we hope these situations will occur rarely, it’s important to know what your options are when there’s a patient in your practice whom you feel should be dismissed for his or her own good—and for the good…
Read more »
When doctors are stumped by challenging clinical cases, they often refer patients to specialists to assist with the diagnosis and management of the patients’ conditions. “Doctors can learn a lot from expert patients.” -Aniruddha Malpani, MD, medical director of Malpani Infertility Clinic in Mumbai, India While specialists can be very…
Read more »
As doctors, we educate and inform patients every day. Some people call this patient education or patient communication. I like to call it information therapy, which can be defined as a prescription of the right information, for the right patient, at the right time, to help make a better health…
Read more »
The Internet has created new, innovative ways to research and communicate. A large number of Indian doctors are now using the Internet for purposes such as Google searches for clinical and business information, community building and branding, and communicating via email and social media for business and personal purposes. “The…
Read more »
Whenever I see a patient for the first time in my specialty infertility clinic, I ask her to bring her records with her and to interpret her own medical reports. This gives me a good sense of how much the patient understands about her medical problem and treatment options. “I…
Read more »
When Mrs. Bhatia had swollen, painful knees, her physician made the correct diagnosis of osteoarthritis. While prescribing the standard course of anti-inflammatory medicines for her, he did not provide her with a list of the possible side effects. Mrs. Bhatia also did not tell her doctor that she had been…
Read more »
indicates a Peer-Reviewed Article
How to speak your patients’ language for clearer communication
Most patients, regardless of health literacy level, prefer the use of plain and simple language when you communicate with them about their medical conditions. “Plain language is easy for patients to read, but sometimes you have to work hard in order to write simply.” -Aniruddha Malpani, MD, medical director of…
Read more »