Improving Patient-Physician Communication, Starting With an Introduction

Good communication between a patient and physician can improve patient satisfaction and care quality, and good communication begins with a simple introduction, according to an editorial published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine written by Vineet Arora, MD, section of general internal medicine at the University of Chicago, and Valerie Press, MD, section of hospital medicine at the University of Chicago.

The authors address a previous study published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine that found only 40 percent of physician interns introduced themselves to their patients.

The authors suggest that new evaluation metrics may be necessary to more accurately perceive patient satisfaction, as many of the metrics are contextually-based. Additionally, they say further patient-centered interventions should be introduced, such as having the patient ask the physician his or her name.

Improving Patient-Physician Communication, Starting With an Introduction

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