Compassionate Understanding
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
-Dalai Lama
Tip #1: Initiate a Bi-Directional Conversation:
Set the stage for bi-directional (not unilateral) discussions by initiating the conversation with open-ended questions such as:
- “Why do you feel that way?”
- “Can you tell me more?”
- “What concerns you about this treatment?”
Tip #2: Allow for patient self-expression.
Allowing patients to express what it is they believe and why it is important to them helps patients to feel “heard” and helps providers to understand better of why the patient believes what they believe. Listening for the motivations behind the patient’s belief in medical misinformation can help you formulate your responses that will best resonate with patients. During this phase, it is important to:
- Use open posture
- Offer non-verbal cues that demonstrate you are actively trying to understand the patient
- Avoid judging the patient (which can alienate the patient and damage trust)
Tip #3: Identify what matters to the patient.
Before responding to what the patient’s beliefs are, direct the conversation to what is most important to them to better understand fears, motivations, and/or values. Questions that can help you understand what matters to the patient most sound like:
- “Can you share with me what matters most to you in this decision?”
- “Why does (e.g. this alternative medicine) appeal to you?”
- “Can you teach me more about your needs?”
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