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Miller School Hosts Expert Panel on Improving Patient Communication

10/8/2009

Better communication is the key to better health, according to experts on communication in health care. Knowing how to bridge the patient-doctor communication gap could directly affect the amount and quality of information you receive as a patient. This topic was the highlight of an October 4 luncheon held on Miami Beach and hosted by the Jay Weiss Center for Social Medicine and Health Equity and the American Academy on Communication in Health Care.

Monica Broome, M.D., FACP, assistant professor of clinical medicine and director of the Communication Skills Program at the Miller School, chaired the inaugural event and was joined by Paul Haidet, M.D., FAACH, associate professor of medicine and director of education at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, as an expert panelist.

“I was thrilled with the turnout we had,” said Dr. Broome. “Just being able to reach one person made it all worthwhile.”

The luncheon provided a unique setting for patients to interact with health care professionals and learn the ABC’s -- Ask questions, Be prepared, Communicate your health concerns. There was also a question-and-answer session during which participants could address fears and doctor-patient relationship concerns, and receive personalized feedback.

Marina Freedman, manager in the Division of Continuing Medical Education, attended with her mother. “My mother is older, and sometimes it is difficult for her express her health concerns,” said Freedman. “You really have about 10 minutes to get your point across, and in that amount of time, you feel this pressure to rush through everything, so you get nervous and forget important details. It really helps to understand how doctors receive and process information. It was a great experience for my mother too.”

The luncheon was the start of the three-day International Conference on Communication in Health Care, the largest annual gathering of researchers, educators and administrators from around the globe to focus on improving communication in health care. The emphasis this year was on ethical, patient safety and inter-cultural communication issues.