“At the same time, clinical skills laboratories and simulated-patient expertise are now expanding within U.S. medical schools and rapidly spreading to graduate and continuing medical education. The finding that clinical skills examination scores predict future patient complaints is an important step toward establishing the value of efforts to improve both medical education and patient care.”
Summary and commentary
Research has long associated poor patient communication skills with lower patient satisfaction, more complaints and malpractice claims against doctors, poorer treatment outcomes.
A chief concern among Migraineurs is finding a doctor who listens to them, takes them seriously, and answers their questions. Following a survey in which patients were asked to rank, in order of importance, certain characteristics of Migraine preventive treatment and the study of the survey results, Dr. Todd Rozen commented,
"At present many Migraineurs who need preventive medication are not receiving it. The complete reason for this is unknown but in large part may relate to a poor understanding by physicians of what Migraineurs want from their preventive medication and from their doctors."
Once again, much of this is a matter of effective communication.
If doctors, medical associations, and medical schools will seriously consider the results of studies such as this recent study as well as studies such as Dr. Rozen’s, great strides could be made in multiple areas that would benefit patients and doctors alike:
- The patient/doctor relationship would be strengthened.
- Patients would be more satisfied with their doctors.
- Complaints and malpractice suits would decline.
- Compliance with treatment regimens and positive outcomes would increase.
- Doctors would be happier and more successful in their practices.
- There would be less stress for both patients and doctors.
None of this is to say that all the communication problems are the responsibility of our doctors. As patients, we must do our best to communicate effectively as well.
