Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Five Ways to Connect With Patients
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Five Ways to Connect With Patients
Being a patient can feel like a lonely experience, especially when you sense your doctor is disconnected. A rushed or disengaged interaction can leave patients feeling unheard and uncared for, no matter how clinically skilled the physician is. At the same time, doctors struggle with overwhelming workloads, which can lead to unintentional detachment from those they treat.
In this episode, we explore five ways to build connection in the exam room quickly, why small gestures matter, and how intentional preparation can change the entire dynamic. Finally, we dive into the emotional complexities of patient care and the essential role of listening and presence in preventing burnout. Our conversation centers around the ‘Presence 5 Practices’ from this article.
💡 Check out our Free Resources specifically designed to address pain points in medical practice💡
Guest Bio: Clay Smith, MD, is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Vanderbilt University. He is triple board-certified in Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Pediatrics and the founder of JournalFeed, which provides concise, daily summaries of top medical journal articles.
We Discuss:- The Disconnect Between Patients and Physicians
- Why Genuine Doctor-Patient Connections Matter More Than You Think
- Easing Patient Anxiety and Shame
- The Impact of Preparation and Focus on Patient Care
- Listening Intently and Completely
- Aligning Care with Patient Priorities
- Building Trust by Connecting with the Patient's Story
- Understanding Emotional Cues
- The Delicate Balance of Antibiotic Stewardship
- Understanding Fear Behind Patient Anger
Mentioned in this episode:
Awake + Aware Bend May 5-7, 2025 | Our in person live event
Ready to reset, recharge, and level up?
Awake + Aware is a game-changing 3-day workshop where you will learn how to stay cool when the pressure’s on and lock in the mindset you need to flourish. Space is limited.
🎓 P.S. Yes, this is a CME event!
Awake + Aware Bend 2025
5 Free Tools To Make Medical Practice Easier
Scripts for your least favorite conversations.
The quick and dirty guide to calling consults.
A 10-minute "Driveway Debrief" to switch off from work.
My favorite documentation templates.
Step-by-step guide for delivering the news of death.
Free Resources Link
Never Lame. Never Spammy. Always Fresh.
If you’d like a few minutes of career-elevating curated kickassery delivered to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
Sign up for our Newsletter
View all episodes
By Rob Orman, MD
4.9
112112 ratings
Being a patient can feel like a lonely experience, especially when you sense your doctor is disconnected. A rushed or disengaged interaction can leave patients feeling unheard and uncared for, no matter how clinically skilled the physician is. At the same time, doctors struggle with overwhelming workloads, which can lead to unintentional detachment from those they treat.
In this episode, we explore five ways to build connection in the exam room quickly, why small gestures matter, and how intentional preparation can change the entire dynamic. Finally, we dive into the emotional complexities of patient care and the essential role of listening and presence in preventing burnout. Our conversation centers around the ‘Presence 5 Practices’ from this article.
💡 Check out our Free Resources specifically designed to address pain points in medical practice💡
Guest Bio: Clay Smith, MD, is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Vanderbilt University. He is triple board-certified in Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Pediatrics and the founder of JournalFeed, which provides concise, daily summaries of top medical journal articles.
We Discuss:- The Disconnect Between Patients and Physicians
- Why Genuine Doctor-Patient Connections Matter More Than You Think
- Easing Patient Anxiety and Shame
- The Impact of Preparation and Focus on Patient Care
- Listening Intently and Completely
- Aligning Care with Patient Priorities
- Building Trust by Connecting with the Patient's Story
- Understanding Emotional Cues
- The Delicate Balance of Antibiotic Stewardship
- Understanding Fear Behind Patient Anger
Mentioned in this episode:
Awake + Aware Bend May 5-7, 2025 | Our in person live event
Ready to reset, recharge, and level up?
Awake + Aware is a game-changing 3-day workshop where you will learn how to stay cool when the pressure’s on and lock in the mindset you need to flourish. Space is limited.
🎓 P.S. Yes, this is a CME event!
Awake + Aware Bend 2025
5 Free Tools To Make Medical Practice Easier
Scripts for your least favorite conversations.
The quick and dirty guide to calling consults.
A 10-minute "Driveway Debrief" to switch off from work.
My favorite documentation templates.
Step-by-step guide for delivering the news of death.
Free Resources Link
Never Lame. Never Spammy. Always Fresh.
If you’d like a few minutes of career-elevating curated kickassery delivered to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
Sign up for our Newsletter
More shows like Stimulus - Learn Tools to Crush It in Your Medical Career
View all
EMCrit FOAM Feed
1,863 Listeners
Emergency Medicine Cases
536 Listeners
The FlightBridgeED Podcast
386 Listeners
Core EM - Emergency Medicine Podcast
251 Listeners
The Resus Room
98 Listeners
EM Clerkship
810 Listeners
White Coat Investor Podcast
2,435 Listeners
The Curbsiders Internal Medicine Podcast
3,336 Listeners
Emergency Medical Minute
257 Listeners
Heavy Lies the Helmet
261 Listeners
Worklife with Adam Grant
9,189 Listeners
The Internet Book of Critical Care Podcast
712 Listeners
Critical Care Scenarios
257 Listeners
The Cribsiders
313 Listeners
Critical Care Time
237 Listeners