2. Think About Your Words & Be Aware of Your Body Language
“Often, the language rheumatologists use may not be completely understood by patients,” Dr. Dikranian says.
Example: When rheumatologists discuss disease-modifying medications, they often use the term biologics, but may not take the time to explain what the term means. This lack of explanation can leave patients to draw their own associations, resulting in a misinterpretation of how the therapies may help them. Also, when a medication is not working for a patient, a rheumatologist may say the patient is failing their medication. Patients may internalize these words and think they have failed.
Dr. Dikranian says, “We have to acknowledge medical literacy—this doesn’t mean we need to talk down to patients, but we do need to explain care in basic terms.”
3. Confirm Patient Understanding
After explaining a medical therapy or treatment term, it may be helpful for rheumatologists to ask the patient if they understand what was explained.
“I also like to ask the patient to repeat back what I said, so I can [ensure] I explained it in a clear way,” Dr. Dikranian says. “During this dialogue, I am also conscious of my body language, because if my gestures suggest I am concerned with keeping to the schedule, the patient may feel rushed and simply nod yes to information I provide without truly understanding what it means for them and their treatment.”
4. Create Shared Goals & Follow Them
Establishing clear goals and sticking to them is something rheumatologists can incorporate into every visit—no matter how long they have been treating a patient.
“When a patient receives a new diagnosis, this is a perfect opportunity to discuss our shared goals for what we want to achieve with treatment,” Dr. Dikranian says. “Then we can revisit these goals at subsequent visits to discuss our progress with the goals and how we can trend treatment to achieve these goals.”
5. Connect Patients with Additional Support
It’s important to consider how a patient can be counseled and advised by other experts, either another member of the practice’s healthcare team or an outside provider.
“These experts, such as a nurse, nurse practitioner, counselor, exercise therapist or dietician, can address a number of different patient needs [and] can support their overall health and progress with their treatment.” Dr. Dikranian says. “Even connecting our patients with informational brochures and trusted online research support can be helpful.”
