Listening to your patient, a key factor for successful consultations in a clinical setting

A patient consultation with a doctor has no set rules, no guidelines, and no regular feedback but there are always patient expectations. The carer may initiate a conversation, but subsequently, the discussion has value by being patient-centered. The importance of attentive listening cannot be emphasized enough, with sincerity, respect, empathy and compassionate care. While everyday communication takes place in society, the majority is non-verbal. Consider the impact of words, some emotions, and how one reacts with pleasure to good news or glumly with less happy content. Added to this in a professional interaction is the reason to meet, the need for guidance, advice, management, and treatment. Understand that the most intimate personal history may be discussed, with the fullest expectation of confidentiality. Time management is integral to a successful interview’s outcome. Patients swiftly pick up on their doctor looking rushed or flustered.1 The nonverbal cues such as facial expression, body posture, shoulder, and arm movements are hard to miss. Poor communication is the most commonly reported patient complaint to authorities when relating unsatisfactory physician interactions.2 Most carers are very good at recognizing specific behavior patterns in patients, but frequently evade admission of their faults. Have we, as doctors, compressed time with patients into an efficiency role so that we may risk not having genuinely productive conversations with our patients? If so, is this the right path to follow in the future? How much time needs to be allocated for completed discussions and is there any