April 14, 2022 | 1 min read “Don’t Worry” By Jeffrey Millstein, MD, Penn Medicine General reassurances are often ineffective when they don’t address patients’ true concerns.
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.
December 1, 2020 | 4 min read When Patients Trust Only You By Howard Chang, Medical Student, Johns Hopkins Medicine Through empathic listening, all members of the healthcare team can build rapport with patients in their most vulnerable moments.
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 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.
Infectious disease physician Amash Adalja, MD, often uses car analogies to concretize abstract concepts for his patients. December 17, 2018 | 1 min read How to Make Abstract Concepts Concrete By Amesh Adalja, MD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health To explain complex subjects to patients, you take an abstract concept and concretize it. This is important for patient counseling, and as a method to check your own knowledge.
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 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 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.
April 14, 2022 | 1 min read Supporting Young Adults Who Use E-Cigarettes When talking with young patients about tobacco dependence, first create a judgment-free zone and ask open-ended questions to understand why they use the product.
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.
November 25, 2020 | 2 min read Naming Chickens By Claire Crawford, MSW, PhD, Texas Childrens Incorporate laughter and joy where you can, giving yourself, your patients, and their families, moments of respite.
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.
February 15, 2023 | 2 min read Speaking from my heart By Leslie Miller, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine When deeply worried about the mental health of patients, make sure they feel heard, validated, and empowered.
"An Orchid," Georgia O'Keefe, 1941, Museum of Modern Art. November 13, 2018 | 2 min read Seeing the Unseen By Lauren Small, PhD To start seeing the unseen, carving out five minutes to sit down and just listen to your patient can make a difference.
June 10, 2021 | 3 min read Why Perfectionism May Weaken Your Relationships With Patients By Maureen Flood, NP, Johns Hopkins Medicine My perfectionist tendencies weakened my relationship with a patient. Being aware of and working to overcome this habit can be helpful for patients and take pressure off healthcare professionals.
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.
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 5, 2022 | 1 min read Playing “Out of Book” By Jeffrey Millstein, MD, Penn Medicine Unexpected statements from patients can force clinicians to improvise. As in chess, it helps to view these as challenges with potential rewards.
March 3, 2025 | 2 min read The power of small gestures Actions speak louder than words. Small gestures like listening closely to patients, getting tissues, adjusting the lights, and helping them get comfortable in bed is part of giving holistic care.
November 18, 2020 | 1 min read She’s Only 24 By Rakesh Patel, MD, University of Nottingham Listening to patients’ fears and concerns builds understanding about the potential impact of disease on their long term goals. This may be especially important for younger patients.
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.
February 1, 2023 | 1 min read Patience With Patients By Will Frye, PhD, Johns Hopkins All Childrens, St. Petersburg, Florida Consider the challenges you experience when trying to make changes in your daily habits. Remember to praise your patient’s progress no matter how small.
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 9, 2021 | 2 min read How to Support Patients When Transitioning Back to “Normal” As we move through phases of the pandemic, understanding patients’ goals and asking about their worries is paramount.
November 27, 2023 | 2 min read When the truth (literally) hurts By Eric Last, DO, Northwell Health, Wantagh, New York When our patients are facing surgery or other procedures, thoughtful questions can help allay their worries.
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.
April 8, 2022 | 1 min read “Better” By Ben Roberts, CRNP, AGACNP-BC, ACHPN, Johns Hopkins Medicine Using precise language can help us partner with patients in hoping for the best, without causing confusion.
February 28, 2018 | 4 min read Asking patients about adverse childhood experiences (archives, 2018) By Brent Beasley, MD, University of Oklahoma Ask. It's scary. But ask anyway.
Maintain eye contact with your patient if and when you're typing in the electronic medical record (EMR). December 15, 2020 | 1 min read Embracing the EMR By Alice Rothchild, MD, Seattle, WA The best gift we can give our patients is our undivided attention. Maintain eye contact with your patient if and when you’re typing in the electronic medical record during the encounter.
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.
January 12, 2023 | 1 min read Pain Talk By Will Frye, PhD, Johns Hopkins All Childrens, St. Petersburg, Florida Chronic pain is sometimes a challenging topic to discuss with patients. I’ve learned that the most important thing is to validate my patients’ experience of suffering.
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.
Many of the anti-vaccine messages aim to bring forth emotion in the public, especially fear. Remain calm when talking with patients, friends, family, and neighbors. May 26, 2021 | 1 min read Talking with those opposed to vaccines (archives, 2021) When speaking with people who respond to scientific information in a challenging manner, the most critical thing to remember is to stay calm. Refrain from simply "talking over" those with whom you're in conversation.
September 23, 2019 | 3 min read How to Manage Chronic Pain and Opioids By Ryan Graddy, MD, AbsoluteCARE Medical Center, Atlanta, Georgia Safe opioid stewardship is a key objective when managing chronic pain. Combining evidence-based strategies and compassionate care can help you to realize these goals.
"When a patient is riding the wave of anger, instead of defensively explaining your kind intention and clinical justification for decisions, validate their experience." March 3, 2022 | 1 min read Listening to my Patient’s Anger By Avani Prabhakar, MBBS, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine When encountering an angry patient, validate feelings rather than becoming defensive.
November 4, 2020 | 3 min read It’s All Relative By Elisabeth Marsh, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine It's essential that we approach each patient with a fresh outlook. Bringing emotions, positive or negative, from a previous clinical interaction can adversely affect the next patient.
June 11, 2020 | 2 min read The Power of Accompaniment By Aidan Crowley, Medical Student, University of Pennsylvania When there are no further treatment options available, healthcare professionals can still compassionately accompany their patients until the very end.
November 20, 2023 | 2 min read Honoring indigenous culture amid serious illness By Katie Nelson, PhD(c), MSN, RN, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing We must seek to understand the beliefs, rituals, and ceremonies of all patients and communities. Failing to honor these may erode trust.
October 1, 2018 | 2 min read Listening to Build Trust By Sophie Lanzkron, MD, MDH, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine When I'm helping a patient who's angry about an aspect of care, the most important thing I do is listen, just sit quietly and listen. Often patients just want to be heard. Listening and repeating back their concerns lets them know they've been heard.
May 20, 2021 | 2 min read Alleviating Your Patients’ Worries By April Sharp, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine During hospitalizations, patients and families have lots of time to worry. Asking about the concerns and empathizing may be especially helpful.
September 19, 2019 | 2 min read The Importance of Partnering With Patients By Michael Crocetti, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians What patients and families need is a clinician advocate who is available to listen, translate complex medical language, and support both the physical and mental health of the patient.
March 1, 2022 | 1 min read What to Expect When You’re Expecting (to See The Doctor) By Jeffrey Millstein, MD, Penn Medicine A journey through a doctor’s office visit is all too familiar to clinicians and staff, but patients may not know what to expect. Managing expectations provides reassurance and may improve the patient experience.
February 24, 2025 | 2 min read Listening to find answers By Michael Albert, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine To more accurately arrive at the diagnosis, it is generally wise to believe patients’ recounting of their symptoms and experiences. This can result in uncovering medical conditions that are sometimes labeled as being more generalized—like anxiety—and lead to improved patient outcomes.
September 30, 2020 | 2 min read Perspective-taking Through Poetry By Howard Chang, Medical Student, Johns Hopkins Medicine Creative writing may enhance our ability to recognize and understand conflicting perspectives in order to better empathize with our patients.
"Facilitate finding new ways of having fun and staying busy. Recovery is not punishment." April 3, 2018 | 1 min read 10 tips to support patients with a substance use disorder By Mike Fingerhood, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine I’ve devoted my entire career to supporting patients with substance use disorders (SUD). Here are the top 10 tips that I’ve learned over the past few decades.
June 25, 2018 | 2 min read Identity Part II: Knowing Your Own Past I’m not a doctor who engages with the community; rather, I’m a community member who became a doctor. This identity has helped me strengthen and maintain my relationships with my patients.
September 13, 2018 | 2 min read The Core of Compassionate Care By Ayelet Kuper, MD, University of Toronto When I have trouble bringing my focus back to the patient, I remind myself that this patient was once a baby that someone held as I have held my own babies.
November 6, 2023 | 2 min read Believing Patients By Chloe Lee, MD, MPH, University of Rochester When patients share their traumatic experiences, trust that they are almost always telling the truth. We must be empathic and compassionate to build therapeutic connections.
hearts September 10, 2019 | 1 min read 3 Reasons why Shared Decision-making Matters By Minas Chrysopoulo, MD, PMRA Plastic Surgery When patients and clinicians arrive at a treatment plan together, patients feel more involved, confident, and satisfied with their care.
