Good communication between health professionals and patients is essential for high-quality health care. According to the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) patient experience survey, communication with physicians ranked fifth out of eight categories in terms of correlation with overall patient satisfaction.1 However, today, finding an effective…
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Foreign travel has become common among Indians. Documents needed for travel differ from one country to another, but these are usually well known and followed, since entry to a foreign country is virtually impossible without complying with all of the rules and regulations. People from India may visit for business…
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Today’s patient is an inquisitive patient. The patient has become a healthcare consumer with demands similar to any other service industry consumer. Knowledge and understanding of the needs of patients and their families now is more crucial than ever in providing exceptional patient service. Key Point: The patient has become…
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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…
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Every appointment is an opportunity for teaching and learning, both for the patient and the doctor. However, given today’s real-life constraints, is expecting doctors to teach patients asking for the moon? “Your first question should not be, ‘What do I want my patient to know?’ but rather, ‘What do I…
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While it’s easy to tell if a patient has jaundice, you can’t tell if a patient is health illiterate just by looking at him or her. However, recognizing and addressing health illiteracy is just as important to your patients’ well-being as making accurate clinical diagnoses. “If patients do not understand…
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Internet and Social Media for Doctors
It is time for doctors to start their online journey… Today, most information sought is reached through the Internet. India is now the third largest Internet user in the world, below only China and the United States, and already edging out Japan (1). Most doctors, and particularly specialists, are already…
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