Healthcare Communication: Effective Techniques for Clinicians

Steven Locke, MD, offers recommendations for clinicians who want to use telemedicine. Find out about treating patients across states or around the world, the differences in communicating in person vs. remotely, why certain video platforms can't be used and the biggest mistakes clinicians make in telemedicine.

Auguste H. Fortin VI, MD, MPH, MACP, the lead author of the book, Smith's Patient-Centered Interviewing: An Evidence-Based Method, fourth edition, discusses 11 steps for interviewing the patient as outlined in the book, and the biggest pitfalls of the patient interview, such as not setting the agenda, which leads to "door knob conversations."

Kathleen Kieran, MD, discusses five conflict styles to use with patients and colleagues.

Julie Crosson, MD, shares 10 tools she teaches to help physicians negotiate the agenda with their patients, which helps improve patient satisfaction.

Sal Mangione, MD, discusses the royal road to diagnosis, where 80 percent of the diagnosis is based on history taking, which he describes like writing a play.

Marla R. Rowe-Gorosh, MD, discusses how to use the Ask-Respond-Tell technique with patients. She talks about how to be more empathic and why it saves time and how to use the PEARLS technique.

Listen to our expert, Lars Osterberg, MD, discuss the shared responsibility of clinicians and patients for medicine adherence, motivating patients to engage in treatment, the major reasons why patients don't take their meds and how to uncover the truth about patients taking medicines.

Joan Lowery, MEd, discusses the three components of effective listening skills, teachback tips, the relationship between listening skills and empathy, how listening leads to shorter appointments with patients, four barriers for active listening, the characteristics of good listeners and the joy that listening brings to the clinician.

For a list of reading material on listening skills, contact Joan at

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Nicole Defenbaugh, PhD discusses verbal and non-verbal tips for listening with empathy and how empathic listening improves outcomes for the patient and reduces errors, and improves HCAHPS scores and the clinicians' well being. Find out when silence is golden.

Peter Lichstein, MD, FACP, FACH, discusses a core set of steps to end the relationship, what happens when difficult patients need to be dismissed and how to manage saying goodbye to patients.