For physicians, routine is a disguise. Performing multiple examinations a day, they grow used to the sterile walls, billowing gowns and murmured concerns of their visitors. But for the person on the other end of the equation \u2014 the patient \u2014 trying to describe what\u2019s wrong can be an exercise in frustration.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome symptoms, like pain, can be notoriously amorphous,\u201d says Danielle Ofri<\/a>, M.D., a practicing internist and author of the communication guide What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear<\/em>. \u201cThat\u2019s coupled with patients already being under a lot of stress by virtue of the fact they\u2019re not feeling well and worried.\u201d<\/p>\n Ofri believes it can be hard to generalize symptoms due to patient demographics and the chance of a communication gap. Older people, she explains, might simply have more experience with doctors and be more comfortable sharing concerns \u2014or they might not.<\/p>\n Gender, however, is more of a possible determining factor. In a 2014 study<\/a> published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology<\/em>, lead author Catherine Kreatsoulas asserted that women tend to describe symptoms of cardiac events differently from men because of a perception that heart attacks are of greater concern to males. They might be reluctant to describe it as \u201cchest pain,\u201d even when that would be the most succinct statement they could make.<\/p>\n \u201cWomen don\u2019t believe a heart attack is part of their construct,\u201d Ofri says. \u201cIt\u2019s thought of as a male disease. Their pain could be a heart attack, but they just don\u2019t think of it that way.\u201d Women also tend to downplay issues regarding mental health, eating disorders and domestic violence. Men, Ofri says, grow reserved when discussing depression or sexual issues like erectile dysfunction.<\/p>\n This reluctance to share symptoms can grow when patients are nervous or feel rushed, possibly as the result of another physician having hurried them along in the past. One recent study<\/a> found patients speak an average of 12 seconds before being interrupted by a caregiver. How can physicians overcome these hurdles to get the information they need for a proper diagnosis?<\/p>\n \u201cFirst, I would advise physicians to take that first minute to close their computer and engage the patient directly,\u201d Ofri says. In doing so, doctors remove a barrier that can make patients feel separated from their own examination. Second, Ofri advises \u201cnormalizing\u201d suspected ailments by asking about specific areas of the body. \u201cI\u2019ll ask about [a patient’s] stomach, their breathing, their sexual orientation. For example, I might say, \u2018Do you have sex with men, women or both?\u2019\u201d The implication is that Ofri has no moral objection to any of the choices, freeing a patient to explain their issues without fear of being judged.<\/p>\n Ofri will also use a physical exam to tease out any lingering concerns. By touching or probing a particular area and asking if there\u2019s discomfort, patients can focus on a direct question. Using more pointed queries can also help differentiate symptoms when it comes to patients experiencing anxiety. \u201cIf someone says their heart is pounding, I\u2019ll ask if they mean it’s pounding harder or faster [than usual]. Harder usually means anxiety,\u201d Ofri explains.<\/p>\n Ultimately, doctors can\u2019t do a whole lot about the discomfort of an exam room. \u201cIt\u2019s a kind of alien place,\u201d says Ofri. But a physician who bears in mind that what may be routine for them is unusual \u2014 or even uncomfortable \u2014 for patients stands a much greater chance of resolving the problem.<\/p>\n Read More on The Script:<\/p>\n Top 10 Marketing Ideas For Dentists<\/a><\/p>\n Digital Marketing for Optometrists<\/a><\/p>\n Psychiatry Practice Marketing and Advertising Strategies: a Guide<\/a><\/p>\n Resources for Providers:<\/p>\n Primary Care Marketing<\/a><\/p>\n Psychiatrist Marketing\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Dermatology Marketing\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pixel.newscred.com\/px.gif?key=YXJ0aWNsZT1hN2MzMTRhN2M5ZTU4MGI2MzdiZDQ0NmNmZDY1ZjRkYQ==\")
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