In this issue...

Spotlight on Communications

We all know that clear two way communication with patients is an essential element of good medical practice. As doctors, we also face work and personal pressures which can make it challenging to maintain consistently good standards of communication with all our patients.

In 2017-18, the second biggest category of complaint to the Medical Council related to doctor patient communication. Even complaints about clinical care, which accounted for 50 percent of complaints about doctors, often involve a communication issue.

In this issue, we discuss patient privacy when talking to family members, patient communication strategies when there’s been a mistake, explaining the need for intimate physical examinations and how to communicate the end of a doctor-patient relationship. We also explore scenarios and strategies you might use to reduce the likelihood of a complaint against you arising from misunderstandings with patients. 

Associate Professor Richard Walsh, President, Medical Council of NSW

Getting intimate...why you should frankly explain what you are doing when performing a physical examination 

When performing a physical examination, relying on implied consent can be risky. Especially with new patients you may not know well. So what do you say to help reduce the risk of a complaint?

'Confidentiality trumps everything': how to maintain patient privacy when communicating with a family 

 A family member rings and asks if Mum has been to the doctor today? Saying yes, could be a breach of confidentiality. So when can privacy be breached, and what do you do if a son or daughter rings and asks for their parents cancer results? 

Avoid the risk: be open when you make a mistake

The Medical Council spoke to Dr Rosa Canalese, senior medical adviser at Avant and a Central Coast GP about communication strategies with patients when there’s been a mistake in clinical practice.

Ending a therapeutic relationship...is it the answer?

Sometimes, it’s necessary for a doctor to stop seeing a patient, or a patient may not want to see you. What do you do when faced with a patient who repeatedly doesn’t turn up for appointments, or becomes abusive or aggressive towards you? Dr Walid Jammal and Dr Rosa Canalese reveal their top tips.

Fog’s Blog:  “What did the doctor say”?

I have a theory, entirely untroubled by scientific testing, that the quality of Doctor-Patient communication is best assessed in the surgery car park.

As doctors, getting our message across is a complex thing. Like Russia, It is a “riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma”. It is a game of Chinese whispers.

News bites 

Your feedback