Healthcare Communication: Effective Techniques for Clinicians

Julie Crosson, MD, discusses proven techniques on eliciting agenda items and negotiating those items, which helps ensure patient and provider satisfaction.

Cardio-thoracic surgeon, Kathy Magliato, MD, MBA, FACS, recommends that every surgeon be prepared for a conversation about an organ donation and can learn by reaching out to their organ procurement organization. She discusses how to help families in tragic situations and how to close the loop with the family about the organ donation.

Maria Alkureishi, MD, explains the mnemonic HUMAN LEVEL when using the computer in the exam room. She serves as a primary physician for infants, children and teens at the University of Chicago. She is a leading researcher on incorporating computers in the exam room. She has presented at many national and international meetings on the subject. She has contributed to DocCom Module 14 on Non-verbal communication, which includes important information on computer and electronic medical records.

Francesca Dwamena, MD, MS, talks about her 20-year journey researching medically unexplained symptoms and discusses how using the mnemonic ECGN for three types of MUS patients helps clinicians communicate with each group.

Douglas Maynard, PhD, discusses how to use perspective display sequence and recommends clinicians ask before telling. He is a sociology professor at University of Wisconsin – Madison. He's studied the delivery and reception of both good and bad news. He is the recipient of the 2016 George Engel Award for outstanding research contributing to the theory, practice and teaching of effective healthcare communication from the Academy of Communication in Healthcare.

Listen to "social media's leading physician voice" Kevin Pho, MD, founder of KevinMD discuss rules about using social media, the elevator rule, what to do if you've posted something you wished you didn't, what platforms are best for social media and where you should post personal info.

Clarence Braddock, MD, MPH, MACP, talks about Encouraging Patients to Participate in Shared Decision Making. He discusses his widely used framework for teaching and evaluating the quality of shared decision-making that saves time and lowers the likelihood of malpractice claims. He is the Vice Dean for Education at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, former Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Board of Internal Medicine and was a founding member of the Academy for Professionalism in Health Care. He is the author of DocCom Module 17 on Shared-Decision Making.

Kelley Skeff, MD, PhD, Co-Director of the Stanford Faculty Development Center for Medical Teachers, discusses why chronological history of present illness is so important, how chronological HPI impacts the clinician's time and the patients' insight into the evolution of their illness.

Elizabeth Cleek, PsyD, Chief Program Officer & Vice President, and Pia Pyne Miller, MPH, CPO & VP, at the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, talk about Tell Me More: Creating Opportunities for Communication. Learn how to build rapport and connect with patients at the same time combating compassion fatigue.

Damara Gutnick, MD, discusses the world-wide campaign to ask patients, "What Matters to You?" which saves clinicians time, reduces falls and has the potential to improve HEDIS measures. She is the medical director of the Montefiore Hudson Valley Collaborative and an associate professor of epidemiology and population health at the Einstein School of Medicine.