March 13, 2018 | 2 min read Reading Your Patient and Changing Your Plan By Mike Fingerhood, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine We usually already have an agenda set when we see patients. However, we have to be ready to improvise by reading the patient, and be open to changing our plan.
July 13, 2022 | 2 min read “Sorry About That Football Game!” By Richard Schaefer, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine Talking about sports with patients and colleagues is one fun way to build interpersonal connections.
June 11, 2025 | 1 min read What questions do you have? New medical information can be hard for patients to process, especially if it is bad news. Taking time to assess the impact of newly delivered information is an important step in clinical conversations.
April 3, 2023 | 5 min read “Get Well Soon” By Aidan Crowley, Medical Student, University of Pennsylvania In the extra minutes I spent getting to know my patient, she shared a secret that allowed me to help her follow care recommendations.
August 10, 2021 | 2 min read Cancer, Combat, And Patient-Centered Care By Richard Schaefer, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine While caring for a pregnant soldier diagnosed with cancer, I was reminded that learning patients’ stories is vital. Doing so facilitates patient-centered care and meaningful relationships.
November 6, 2019 | 3 min read Songs From Hospice By J Lind, Dale Fellow and touring songwriter, Nashville, Tennesse It's the details of the patient's story that transforms them into a person.
June 13, 2022 | 1 min read The Crooner And The Waltz By Frank Cacace, MD, North Shore University Hospital Music can convey feelings that are otherwise inexpressible. It can benefit the health, wellness, and healing of both patients and clinicians.
June 4, 2025 | 3 min read Letting the tea leaves breathe Kind gestures, like bringing a patient a cup of tea, may help bridge the gap between suffering and solace. Such thoughtfulness can offer comfort as powerful as any medication.
September 15, 2020 | 3 min read How to talk with patients about sexual health (archives, 2020) By Matthew Hamill, MBChB, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Sexual health can be a sensitive topic to discuss. Asking open-ended questions and allowing time for your patient’s story to unfold can create a safe space for conversations about sexual health.
Can I have some? March 28, 2023 | 2 min read A Prevention Partnership By Eliana Perrin, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine Obesity is a complex disease that can be hard to treat. Promoting healthy lifestyles while preserving and honoring cultural and family traditions can start with newborns.
August 3, 2021 | 1 min read Patient-Family Conflict By Avani Prabhakar, MBBS, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine When your patient and their family disagree about medical decisions or goals of care, remember that your primary responsibility is to the patient. Skillful facilitation of family meetings may be necessary, and allowing each person to voice their concerns may be helpful.
January 24, 2024 | 2 min read Grief in the season of joy By Eric Last, DO, Northwell Health, Wantagh, New York After the holidays, I think back on patients who passed in December, an especially hard time to lose a loved one. At this time of year, I make an extra effort to help loved ones process their feelings.
October 30, 2019 | 13 min read Partnering With Parents—An Appraisal of Familial Feelings By Monique Webber The clinically excellent clinician understands that each family responds to and copes with chronic illness or disability differently. Being open-minded when partnering with families, and especially parents, is critical for ensuring a trusting relationship and providing support.
June 8, 2022 | 1 min read I Wonder… By Jeffrey Millstein, MD, Penn Medicine “I wonder . . .” is a phrase that triggers curiosity and empathy. It can help us support patients instead of labeling them as “difficult.”
May 1, 2025 | 2 min read Avoiding medical gaslighting Actively listen to and validate patients' experiences, recognizing their unique knowledge of themselves. Providing thoughtful support can earn patients' trust and help them feel better about their circumstances.
September 9, 2020 | 1 min read We’re All in This Together By Mike Fingerhood, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine With the added stress caused by the pandemic, make an extra effort to screen your patients for anxiety and depression. Empathizing about shared concerns may facilitate patient expression.
March 23, 2023 | 2 min read 5 questions I ask every patient (archives 2023) By Lillie Shockney, RN, MS, Johns Hopkins Medicine I talk with patients who have metastatic breast cancer about their hopes and worries at every visit. This allows me to give better, whole-person care.
July 14, 2021 | 1 min read How to Respond to Off-putting Comments from Patients By Elizabeth Steuber, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Sometimes comments from patients are rooted in their own unmet fears or needs. Instead of reacting to your own discomfort in the face of such comments, remaining curious and asking open-ended questions may help you understand what’s behind such unpleasant remarks.
January 18, 2024 | 1 min read “Please pray for me” By Youngjee Choi, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine When my longtime patient with chronic illness asked me to pray for her, I told her I would. Whether prayer is something one can offer, responding to emotional and spiritual requests can be an important part of care.
October 29, 2019 | 4 min read Curiosity, Connection, and Comfort By Margaret "Molly" Hayes, MD, Harvard Medical School Curiosity is an essential part of our humanity and a foundation of the doctor-patient relationship. By remaining curious, we remain faithful to the words of Hippocrates: “Cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always.”
June 2, 2022 | 2 min read ‘68 Chevy Camaro By Jennifer Eitingon, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine If we limit the way we view our patients, we will miss out on what makes them who they are. By taking time to learn more about them as people, we can connect and offer better care.
April 29, 2025 | 2 min read Soul gym Our culture frequently celebrates physical strength. In healthcare, the power of emotional fortitude is regularly called upon when encountering patients’ frustration or anger.
November 5, 2020 | 3 min read Cultivating Compassion By Aidan Crowley, Medical Student, University of Pennsylvania Compassion—acting on the desire to relieve suffering—is central to giving clinically excellent care to those in need.
March 20, 2023 | 4 min read Lazy gardening By Ken Koon Wong, MD, Cleveland Clinic, Naomi Tyree, MD, Summa Health, Ohio Talking about shared interests, such as gardening, is a wonderful way to deepen relationships with patients.
June 29, 2021 | 2 min read Making Jewelry With my Patients By Deirdre Johnston, MBBCh, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Some clinicians are lucky enough to interact with patients outside of medical encounters. In such settings, recognition of additional facets of their personalities may become evident, which will strengthen the patient-clinician relationship.
January 16, 2024 | 2 min read “Too maternal” By Kimberlee Parker, DO, MPH, Baylor College of Medicine Being a mother has helped me to be a better doctor. Both roles require empathy, which I express toward my children and patients.
October 8, 2019 | 4 min read Can you hear me now? By Mariah Robertson, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine The onus may be on the clinically excellent doctor to overcome a the patient's disability that interferes with care. A pocket talker can make a big difference for patients with hearing impairment.
May 12, 2022 | 2 min read The “Uninterested” Mom Who Wept By Precious Ndukwe, MD, Howard University When caring for an overweight infant as a medical student, I wrongly assumed the mother was overfeeding the baby. This experience will remind me in the future to leave my suppositions at the door.
April 16, 2025 | 1 min read Shared decision making 2.0 We need a new shared decision-making paradigm where all possibilities for care are out on the table, including unconventional ones. A clinician’s humility and openness are especially important now that patients are more emboldened to question the opinions of experts.
August 20, 2020 | 2 min read 2 Minutes of Presence By Zara Latif, MD, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center When talking with your patient, dedicate at least two minutes to pure listening. During that time, try to not think about the next question you want to ask and just hear your patient’s perspective.
March 15, 2023 | 1 min read Einstein’s Relativity And Patient Care By Steve Kravet, MD, MBA, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians Conversations about the passing of time can stimulate meaningful reflections during patient visits.
June 25, 2021 | 3 min read “Tell me About Yourself” By Aidan Crowley, Medical Student, University of Pennsylvania During my recent experiences interviewing for med school, I learned that the best interviewers, like the best clinicians, focused on my comfort and let our conversation flow naturally. Such prioritizations promote deeper human connections
January 3, 2024 | 4 min read Make a good stack By Kyle Glienke, MD, Buena Vista Regional Medical Center, Iowa Like baling hay, connecting with patients on a personal level requires intentionality and consistency.
October 7, 2019 | 2 min read 5 Tips for Effective Shared Decision-Making By Mary Catherine Beach, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics The clinically excellent physician practices effective shared decision-making with patients routinely. Select recommendations outlined include using decision aids, and establishing a relationship that is egalitarian and respectful.
April 27, 2022 | 2 min read Listening to Your Patient’s Grief By Avani Prabhakar, MBBS, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine By listening to a patient’s story of loss, we bear witness and affirm their experience.
April 7, 2025 | 2 min read The connective cure By Allison Pugh, PhD, Johns Hopkins Univeristy The art of genuine human interaction is a vital clinical skill that no algorithm can replicate. This building of connection can foster trust, enable healing, and facilitate holistic care.
August 5, 2020 | 2 min read Discomfort as Your Internal Compass By Preetha Hebbar, MPH, medical student, Medical University of South Carolina There are situations that can make us feel uncomfortable when caring for patients. Acknowledging these feelings may result in deeper and more meaningful relationships with patients.
March 14, 2023 | 2 min read Laughter is The Best Medicine By Marion McCrary, MD, Duke Health A smile, a touch, eye contact, and a jovial laugh can be a lifeline for patients in a stressful situation.
"If I die, tell my mother I love her. If I get better, I'm going to visit her in Tennessee. She has ten acres and a farmhouse." May 11, 2021 | 1 min read Empathy at The End of Life By Avani Prabhakar, MBBS, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine At the end of life, clinicians who are present and listen compassionately may be entrusted with patients’ final wishes. Attempting to honor these requests is one way to serve.
September 30, 2019 | 1 min read Practicing Non-Judgement By Sophie Lanzkron, MD, MDH, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine A key to persuading patients to make healthy choices is a strong therapeutic relationship.
June 24, 2021 | 2 min read How to Emotionally Support Patients Through Challenging Moments By Rebekah Fenton, MD, Northwestern University When I was a med student, I tried to “fix” how my patient was feeling. I learned that many patients need time to sit with their feelings and that listening empathically can be the best approach.
December 18, 2023 | 1 min read The healing power of story By Shwetha Mudalegundi, medical student, Johns Hopkins Medicine I used a narrative medicine technique when caring for a patient who mistrusted the healthcare system. By writing his story and reading it back to him, he understood that the care team was truly listening.
October 1, 2019 | 4 min read Developing a Complete Culture of Interpretation By April Lugo, Program Coordinator, Johns Hopkins Medicine Office of Diversity and Inclusion The clinically excellent clinician prioritizes training for themselves and their staff on the proper role of an interpreter. They work to empower interpreters to translate not only the patient's words, but also the patient's tone, cadence, and meaning.
March 13, 2025 | 1 min read Wearing many hats By Jessica Park, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine Sharing parts of your identity, for example being a parent, may help you to connect with patients on a deeper level. Shared humanity can create a deeper relationship, which is essential for trust and service.
July 17, 2020 | 1 min read Person-Centered LGBTQ Care in the Pandemic Era By Justin Fontenot, MSN, RN Patient-centered care requires considering your patients’ wants and needs in their management. ALL patients deserve person-centered care.
March 2, 2023 | 2 min read Meaningful Chords By Ben Roberts, CRNP, AGACNP-BC, ACHPN, Johns Hopkins Medicine When my patient’s wife brought his guitar to the hospital, I realized it’s impossible to overestimate the impact of reuniting patients with what matters most to them. Do what you can to make this happen.
May 10, 2021 | 2 min read Bearing Witness By Jennifer Caputo-Seidler, MD, University of South Florida During the pandemic healthcare professionals have often been the only ones present with patients at the end of life. It’s ok if you struggle to find the right words—sitting with a patient so they're not alone is enough.
October 10, 2018 | <1 min read Engaging With Patients’ Communities Making time to engage with my patients' community has made all the difference in giving clinically excellent care. Enjoy my recent TED Talk, where I tell the story of my journey to connect with my patients' community in Baltimore, Maryland.
June 21, 2021 | 2 min read Seen But Not Heard By Nick Sawyer, MD, MBA, University of California, Davis Some patients sense that their stories aren’t appreciated. Taking the time to sit and listen to patients can build trust and begin to restore their faith in the healthcare system.
December 6, 2023 | 1 min read Reality bites By Carolina Saldanha, MD, Massachusetts General Brigham Salem Hospital I constructed what I thought was a great care plan for my patient with diabetes. I later learned that he wasn’t allowed lunch breaks and had nowhere to store his insulin. I now ask the patient about their daily routine to create a realistic plan.
