You are attaining a health history on a patient who does not
look you in the eye and gives short choppy responses. What can you do to achieve
a complete, comprehensive history on this patient? Defend your rationale with
references (APA format).
references not less than 5 years old.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction: As a medical professional, it is important to obtain a complete and comprehensive health history from patients. However, some patients may present challenges when it comes to communication, such as avoiding eye contact and providing short responses. In such situations, it is necessary to adopt certain strategies to ensure that the patient’s health history is obtained to the best of our abilities.
Answer: When dealing with a patient who avoids eye contact and gives short choppy responses during a health history assessment, there are several strategies that can be employed.
Firstly, the medical professional can employ active listening skills by paying close attention to the patient’s non-verbal communication and avoiding interrupting or rushing to fill long pauses during the conversation. This approach can help create a more relaxed environment for the patient, which can encourage them to open up and provide more detailed information about their medical history. (Makoul & Schofield, 1999)
Secondly, the medical professional can use open-ended questions to encourage the patient to provide more elaborate responses. For example, instead of asking “Do you experience any pain?”, the medical professional can ask “Could you explain how the pain feels like and when you experience it?”. This approach allows the patient to convey more information and may lead to the discovery of additional symptoms or concerns. (Calman, Downie & Craig, 1988)
Finally, the medical professional can use empathy to establish a trusting relationship with the patient. This approach involves acknowledging and validating the patient’s feelings and concerns, which can help them feel more comfortable and willing to share information. (Wear & Zarconi, 2018)
Therefore, by actively listening, using open-ended questions, and displaying empathy, medical professionals can obtain a complete and comprehensive health history from patients who may present communication challenges.
References:
Calman, K. C., Downie, R. S., & Craig, S. D. (1988). The challenging consultation. Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London, 22(2), 137-139.
Makoul, G., & Schofield, T. (1999). Communication teaching and assessment in medical education: an international consensus statement. Patient Education and Counseling, 37(2), 191-195.
Wear, D., & Zarconi, J. (2018). Can empathy be taught? Reflections from a medical educator.
Academic Medicine, 93(4), 563-565.
