It’s not news that clinicians have precious little time to spend face-to-face with patients—minimizing one of the things that drew them to practice medicine to begin with. Dissatisfaction and burnout can follow. A study just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reveals that fostering certain habits “may enhance physician presence and meaningful connection with patients,” however. Based on a literature review and interviews with clinicians at an academic medical center, a Veterans Affairs facility, and a federally qualified health center, the authors determined the following practices to be helpful in promoting “clinician presence, a state of awareness, focus, and attention with the intent to understand patients”:
- Prepare with intention
- Listen intently and completely
- Agree on what matters most
- Connect with the patient’s story
- Explore emotional cues.
JUCM has taken a look at how urgent care providers can practice self-care in pursuit of professional satisfaction and in the interest of continuing to provide excellent care. You can read Provider Burnout Is Real; Show Compassion for Yourself in our archive.