The way in which the doctor will tell the patient about their condition may result in strengthened therapeutic effect and increase confidence in the doctor. According to Professor Jerzy Bralczyk, a linguist, not only words but also facial expressions and gestures are important.
Each patient has a statutory right to obtain accessible health information, diagnosis, proposed and possible diagnostic and treatment methods, foreseeable consequences of their application or omission, the outcome of treatment, prognosis.
The Medical Code of Ethics also requires the physician to respect the patients’ right to informed participation in making basic decisions about their health by providing them information in an understandable manner.
How to talk to the patient
As pointed out by the linguist Professor Jerzy Bralczyk, physicians should speak in a manner that demonstrates their competence, but their language should be understandable and above all – suitable for the audience.
“The point is that we should be credible to the audience, and we are credible if we establish contact with people. We will be perceived as people who know their field and tell the truth. It is all difficult to reconcile," highlights Professor Bralczyk.
He points out that this is not just a matter of words. “They are indeed very important but intonation, gestures, and facial expression are important as well," he points out. “Looking at the computer instead of the patient's face makes a different type of relationship. The one who speaks should be open to what the other person is saying," he adds.
According to Professor Bralczyk, physicians should avoid formal language. Such expressions as care provider, beneficiary, procedures that are used by physicians to communicate, for example with the National Health Fund, should not be put into everyday language.
“Formal language depersonalises and shows that the one who's speaking is not involved. It makes our relations less natural,’ the linguist points out.
Doctors want to improve their language skills
A survey conducted by The Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists and the Polish Academy of Sciences on a group of 1,600 doctors up to 35 years of age showed that doctors feel the need to improve their skills in dealing with patients.
Only 8 percent of the surveyed doctors rated their competence in relations with patients as high, and 65 percent expressed the need to increase their competence in building relations with patients.
In order to learn how to talk to patients and how to communicate difficult information, physicians can participate in training courses organised by The Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists in co-operation with the Ministry of Health. A project entitled "Przychodzi baba do lekarza... i co jej powiesz?" ("A woman comes to the doctor ... and what will you tell her?", which alludes to absurd jokes starting with this line, which are famous in Poland), began in 2013 and continues until June 2015. The training is to cover 2,000 doctors.
The President of The Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists Maciej Hamankiewicz stresses that for several years the SMC has put a very big emphasis on training that helps doctors build good relationships with patients.
“At first glance, it may come as a surprise that physicians, for whom contacts with patients are bread and butter, need some training upgrading their skills of conversation with a patient, attentive listening, communicating difficult news and compassion. Nothing could be further from the truth. The daily struggle with bureaucracy, a very short time of visits, difficult working conditions, stress and fatigue make medical contacts with patients very difficult and complicated," Hamankiewicz notes.
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