Most important thing your doctor can do for you: listen.
In a 2018 study, researchers found that the median length of time a patient could speak before their doctor interrupted was 11 seconds. You read that right, SECONDS not minutes.
Having been a PCP in a busy clinic this doesn’t surprise me – docs want to make sure to get all the relevant info, they’re eager to make a diagnosis and get orders in. They face incredible pressure to accomplish everything in <15 minutes.
But what I also know from experience is that nothing is more valuable than making sure a patient feels SEEN and HEARD. If they walk out feeling you didn’t listen, even the right diagnosis can feel wrong.
There’s therapeutic value in simply being able to tell your story, and I believe in giving patients the time and space to do so.
Just one of the many ways Juniper Modern Primary Care is different..
Source: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-018-4540-5
