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.
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.
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.
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.
January 14, 2020 | 3 min read A Relationship Between Equals By Madeline Rodriguez, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine The clinically excellent practice is centered on core humanistic values rather than on efficiency or productivity.
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.
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.
"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 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.
December 12, 2019 | 2 min read When to Consider Making a House Call By Mattan Schuchman, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine House calls can offer insights and create opportunities that are not possible in the office. Go for it when you can!
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.
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.
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 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.
Vibraphone. Copyright Chris Dingman. December 5, 2019 | 2 min read Peace—Music to Live By Chris Dingman, vibraphonist and composer Music with intention and sensitivity can be a powerful tool for helping the terminally ill—and others—cope with physical and emotional pain in order to find peace. Recommending this form of therapy to patients can be a valuable gift.
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.
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.
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 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.
March 14, 2018 | 2 min read The Power of Acknowledging Feelings By Michael Crocetti, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians Recognizing and acknowledging feelings can diffuse a patient’s anxiety.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
May 5, 2021 | 2 min read Empathy Instead of Judgment By Isaiah Crum, MD, University of Pittsburgh Through the death of an infant patient, I was reminded of how integral being compassionate and non-judgmental is to clinical care.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
