Knowing how to interrupt a patient who talks a lot, make him feel heard and adapt him to a consultation is a skill. The bad communication It is one of the most common complaints that patients have from doctors. Therefore, dealing with patients who talk continuously and maintaining a good relationship is certainly a challenge for even the most experienced physician.
Have you ever had patients who talk continuously?
It has happened to all of us. How do you get someone to stop talking or worse, ramble and not seem rude?
It can be a dilemma for even the most experienced physician.
So, here are some tips that can help you successfully manage continually talking patients, stay in harmony, and still get your assessment done.
1. Clarify the patient’s expectations for the session.
Ask the patient at the beginning of the session what they need from you TODAY. It is important to include “today” as it gives an address for the current time together and not in the future.
This will give you both clarity on what is important to accomplish in your time frame.
2. Set a time frame
Once you have a clear intention for the session, you can recognize your need to talk about what is happening. You will quickly know when you have a very talkative patient.
Recognize that your patient needs to talk and that it is okay to do so. Set a time frame of, say, 10-15 ‘to listen to her story and get your agreement on the time she suggests.
By setting a time frame around ‘talk time’ and getting the deal. You will set a time when it is okay to interrupt.
Now you have an address for the consultation and some agreed deadlines.
3. Listen carefully
Give your full attention to the patient. People often get into the habit of rambling, as they may feel like they are not being heard.
Ask them if it’s okay to take some notes to refer to. If the patient agrees with this, they will not feel a break in the relationship when you start writing or typing.
You can get answers to many of their questions and you just need to come back to clarify points. The patient will tell you what bothers him the most.
There will always be some questions that you will have to ask in order for the subjective assessment to be complete. But the better you listen, the fewer questions you will have to ask.
4. Reflective listening
By reflective listening I mean repeating statements that the patient has said. The patient will feel as if they are listening.
You don’t need to do this with every sentence. Occasionally, as appropriate, it will be enough to make the patient feel heard. This is important because you will likely need to cut them at the designated time. They will tolerate it better if they feel heard in the first place.
5. Get a wrap
Ok, the decisive moment arrives. The 10-15 ‘is over and you must move on. This could be where it all falls apart.
But if you’ve completed the steps above, interrupting a patient’s conversation doesn’t have to be rude. The first thing to do is go back to what the patient said they wanted to get out of the session.
Using the word “because” puts a frame around what you are going to say next. And that is what is important for the patient.
“Because you said before that you wanted to… .., I just need to clarify a few things and then take a look… Is that okay?”
It’s just a suggestion. You will use the most appropriate words for the situation. The key word here is “because”. Is powerfull. Create a frame for the break and remind the patient why they came to see you.
REMEMBER:
Your goal is to make the patient feel heard, get the information you need within the allotted time frame, and stay in touch if they need to interrupt.
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