Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

It’s important to give patients an idea of what to expect

Kristin Puhl, MD
Education
December 11, 2017
197 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

The familiarity that health care professionals develop with complex medical procedures and topics is the result of years upon years of hard work, and over time we become accustomed to the jargon. We use phrases like “lap chole” and “appy” without much thought when talking to each other and (if we have a momentary lapse) with patients. We take the fantastic array of medical specialties, procedures, and knowledge in our world for granted. The extraordinary becomes mundane.

For patients, medicine is very different. The situations they encounter are, for the most part, totally novel. They don’t go through two gallbladder removals or appendectomies. They often walk into our offices without a clear picture of what will happen. The experiences that patients have can be overwhelming, bizarre, and frightening.

That’s why, when we refer patients to others or put them through a new experience, it’s so important to help give patients an idea of what to expect. Not just the broad-level overview, but specific, concrete details. It’s critical to make sure a patient understands what test or treatment they need and why, and informed consent is the bedrock of modern medicine. But it’s also valuable to give patients a touchstone about what the experience will look and feel like for them.

When a patient is going to see a specialist, their primary care provider can give them a roadmap of how the encounter may go. The specialist’s schedule may be complicated; the patient may need to wait longer than they would expect, and allow more time for traffic, if it’s in an area they’re not familiar with. The visit itself can include discussions of surgery, medications, and other options for treatment, if there are any. The primary care provider can tell the patient roughly what they expect the specialist’s discussion to include, with the caveat that they are referring out specifically because the specialist will likely have better perspective on and insight into the issue.

You may have heard the word “schema” before, or you may not, depending on what subjects sparked your interest in undergraduate or graduate school. A schema — from the same root as schematic — is, in essence, a blueprint. It’s a mental map of how something is going to go. People have schemas for just about everything, from events they’ve experienced a hundred times to events they’ve never experienced. Schemas give us comfort. If we know what to expect, we feel more confident, less frightened.

As health care providers, we can use this to help our patients and our colleagues. Patients who are prepared for a visit with a specialist can have time to think about their questions and to make sure that their biggest concerns are addressed. Many of the specialists I’ve worked with have had moments of frustration when patients had totally unrealistic expectations for their visits, whether it was about a medication prescription, an easy answer for a complex problem, or just how the day would go.

Health care providers are familiar with the concept of a “warm hand-off,” which is less exciting than it might sound to a layperson. This is most often when an outpatient provider has a patient who is being hospitalized, and reaches out to the inpatient provider to give a personalized, less formal picture of the patient’s clinical situation and psychosocial background than the inpatient provider would get from notes alone. It helps make sure that the inpatient provider is up to speed on the patient and their wishes, and improves the likelihood that the patient’s care will be congruent with their goals. This is the flip side of giving the patient a schema. Providers benefit from schemas, too.

Knowing what to expect is helpful. It’s what we as humans spend a lot of our lives looking for, whether it’s Yelp reviews for restaurants, getting physician recommendations from friends and family, or Googling a new diagnosis. Many patients have had bad experiences with the medical establishment. Patient empowerment is a buzzword, but it’s a cliché for a reason. It matters.

Providers should think about what the situation looks like to their patients, and try to help them anticipate what’s coming and what they can do, rather than asking them to blindly trust an imperfect system.

Kristin Puhl is a medical student and can be reached on Twitter @kristinpuhl.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

So you want to make a big purchase. How do you save for it?

December 11, 2017 Kevin 0
…
Next

The demand for preparation: from the playing field to the OR

December 11, 2017 Kevin 1
…

Tagged as: Hospital-Based Medicine, Surgery

Post navigation

< Previous Post
So you want to make a big purchase. How do you save for it?
Next Post >
The demand for preparation: from the playing field to the OR

More by Kristin Puhl, MD

  • Don’t be like Elon Musk. Get a lawyer for your clinic.

    Kristin Puhl, MD
  • We get what we incentivize

    Kristin Puhl, MD
  • What do doctors do when they get sick?

    Kristin Puhl, MD

Related Posts

  • Are patients using social media to attack physicians?

    David R. Stukus, MD
  • You are abandoning your patients if you are not active on social media

    Pat Rich
  • Patients are an integral part of medical student education

    Orly Farber
  • Establishing trust with LGBTQIA+ patients

    Kristin Puhl, MD
  • A love letter to patients

    Marcie Costello
  • Under-addressed mediators of adherence: personality in patients

    Trisha Kaundinya

More in Education

  • Breaking the silence: the truth about mental health challenges among medical students and why medical schools must take action

    Erin Waldrop
  • Breaking the stigma: Encouraging mental health help-seeking in medical trainees

    Anonymous
  • I’m not so different from Lionel Messi – and neither are you

    Lauren Tien
  • 6 ways ChatGPT can help you succeed in medical school

    Drew Bergman
  • Is it time to say goodbye to medical school rankings?

    James Goldchild
  • The unintended consequences of ERAS: Are we losing unique applicants?

    Ank Agarwal, Aditya Narayan, Joshua Leaston, and Akshay Bhamidipati
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • A patient’s perspective on the diminishing relationship between doctors and patients

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • Unmasking wage disparity in health care: the truth behind the Elmhurst Hospital physician strike

      Kevin Pho, MD | KevinMD
    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • Emulating Michael Jordan’s winning mindset: a path to success for health care professionals and entrepreneurs

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • How electronic health records preserve patients’ legacies in the words of oncologists

      Marc Braunstein, MD, PhD | Physician
    • Unmasking the brutal reality of gun violence in America: a call to action for unity and meaningful change

      Osmund Agbo, MD | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • The growing threat to transgender health care: implications for patients, providers, and trainees

      Carson Hartlage | Policy
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Uncovering the truth about racial health inequities in America: a book review

      John Paul Mikhaiel, MD | Policy
    • Why electronic health records are failing patients: the dark side of copy and paste [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • The surprising medical mystery of a “good” Hitler: How a rescued kitten revealed a rare movement disorder

      Teresella Gondolo, MD | Conditions
    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • Why doctors aren’t to blame for the U.S. opioid crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • 'Medically Relevant to Saving the Life of Your Patient': What We Heard This Week
  • Want to Solve the Nurse Shortage?
  • Why Are Female Doctors Sued Nearly Half as Often as Male Doctors?
  • What Drug Did FDA Just Approve for COVID?
  • PET Scan for Alzheimer's Dx; Predicting Colon Cancer Survival

Meeting Coverage

  • No Access to Routine Healthcare Biggest Barrier to HPV Vaccination
  • Trial Results Spark Talk of Curing More Metastatic Cervical Cancers
  • Cross-Border Collaboration Improves Survival in Pediatric Leukemia Patients
  • Monoclonal Antibody Reduced Need For Transfusions in Low-Risk MDS
  • Less-Invasive Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer Proves Safe, Effective
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • A patient’s perspective on the diminishing relationship between doctors and patients

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • Unmasking wage disparity in health care: the truth behind the Elmhurst Hospital physician strike

      Kevin Pho, MD | KevinMD
    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • Emulating Michael Jordan’s winning mindset: a path to success for health care professionals and entrepreneurs

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • How electronic health records preserve patients’ legacies in the words of oncologists

      Marc Braunstein, MD, PhD | Physician
    • Unmasking the brutal reality of gun violence in America: a call to action for unity and meaningful change

      Osmund Agbo, MD | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • The growing threat to transgender health care: implications for patients, providers, and trainees

      Carson Hartlage | Policy
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Uncovering the truth about racial health inequities in America: a book review

      John Paul Mikhaiel, MD | Policy
    • Why electronic health records are failing patients: the dark side of copy and paste [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • The surprising medical mystery of a “good” Hitler: How a rescued kitten revealed a rare movement disorder

      Teresella Gondolo, MD | Conditions
    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • Why doctors aren’t to blame for the U.S. opioid crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...