Annotations
D. Reinforce Partnership with the Patient to Address
Deployment Concern(s)
OBJECTIVE
Promote patient trust at the earliest opportunity.
ANNOTATION
Recent experience has shown that individuals concerned
about health after deployment may be especially inclined to distrust
the Government, making it particularly important for clinicians to establish
individual rapport and foster open communication with patients.
Post-deployment health communication typically involves
high concern issues. Surveys, case studies, and focus groups
indicate that trust and credibility are not quickly or easily established.
Rather, they are the result of building and maintaining partnerships.
To establish a partnership with the patient, the clinician should:
- Acknowledge the patient’s concerns and symptoms
- Indicate commitment to understand the patient's concern and symptoms
-
Encourage open and honest transfer of information that will provide a more
comprehensive picture of patient's concerns and medical history
-
Indicate commitment to allocate sufficient time and resources to resolving
the patient’s concerns
-
Avoid open skepticism or disapproving comments in discussing the
patient’s concerns
At each patient visit the clinician should consider the following:
- Ask if there are unaddressed or unresolved concerns
- Summarize and explain all test result
- Schedule follow-up visits in a timely manner
- Explain that outstanding or interim test results and consultations
will be reviewed during the follow-up visits
- Offer to include the concerned family member or significant other
in the follow-up visit
REFERENCES
- Emanuel, E.J. and Emanuel, L.L. "Four Models of the
Physician-Patient Relationship." Journal
of the American Medical Association. 1992. 267 (16): 221-6.
- Lipkin M., Quill T.E., And Napodano, R.J. "The Medical Interview:
A Core Curriculum for Residencies in Internal Medicine." Annals
of Internal Medicine. 1984. 100: 277.
- Marple, R.L., Kroenke, K., Lucey, C.R., Wilder, J., and Lucas, C.A.
"Concerns and Expectations in Patients Presenting with Physical Complaints:
Frequency, Physician Perceptions and Actions, and 2-Week Outcome." Archives
of Internal Medicine. 1997. 157: 1482-8.
- Peterson, M.C., Holbrook, J.H., Hales, D.V., et al. "Contributions
of the History, Physical Examination, and Laboratory Investigation in
Making Medical Diagnoses." Western Journal of Medicine.
1992. 156 (2): 163-5.
- Stuart, M.R. And Lieberman, J.A. The Fifteen-Minute
Hour: Applied Psychotherapy for the Primary Care Physician, Second
Edition. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Paperback. 1993.
- Wiedemann, P.M. and Schutz, H. Risk Communication
for Environmental Health Hazards. Zbl. Hyg. Umweltmed. 1998/1999.
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