A recent study reported in Archives of Surgery looked at 44 general surgery residents who had received "communications training." Yup, this training was designed to help them improve the way they deliver bad news to their patients.
In the study, the doctors were assessed on how they delivered bad news, and on their communication skills in general. Then, they took the class and were subsequently reassessed. Turns out certain aspects of their delivery improved, but their general communication skills did not.
We suppose that doctors are supposed to know how to communicate. Apparently, this is not something that everyone can do. Now imagine if they are charged with communicating across culture and language? How low would they score?
(MARN)
Hello Molly,
ReplyDeleteI agree with the content of the article.
One thing always shocks French people when watching US series or films in which some characters are discovering they have a cancer, aids or whatever else serious : It is the brutality with which they are informed of their dramatic health. Yes, some may say : it is just because it is a movie, not the real life, but I do know some US friends who actually were informed that way, with that incredible violence.
You'll never see that in France. It's in our culture, I think. Generally speaking, there's a real empathy between a patient and his/her doctor. Most of the physicians do find the right words and even do find the right behaviour : sometimes they realize that with such or such patient, they must not tell the whole truth all of a sudden, while with some others they can, and even must. But, even in the latter case, there's no brutality.
You certainly noticed that, in French, we are always using more words than in English to say the same thing and also that we feel the need to be more "polite", less direct with people. It comes naturally to us, it is inherent in our culture. In fact, all this helps doctors and patients to communicate.
Of course, as anywhere on Earth, you always may find some French doctors who are true zeroes at communicating, but I think it is less common here.
However, the americanization of the whole world may tend to make things change. I hope not, in this particular field.
Catherine Guilliaumet - CGTRADMED