The Physician as a Communicator

Abstract

Communication is an important element in all professions. In journalism, one survives or fades away depending on his ability to use the right words for his writings to have the right impact. This is equally true of the professions of healing. Words can be taken as the commonest Medicine used by a physician. In health care, the words used by the doctor have a profound effect on the well-being of a patient. These can inspire hope in the patient or plunge him in despair. Words can make all the difference between rapid recovery of the patient or prolongation and aggravation of his ailment. The right words can potentiate a patient, mobilise his will to live and set the stage for a heroic response from him. Wrong words can induce despair and defeat or impair the usefulness of whatever treatment is prescribed. The practice of medicine is both a science and an art, the oldest is art. Being able to diagnose correctly is a good test of medical competence; being able to tell the patient just what is good for him or her to know is a good test of medical artistry. In short, a physician should adopt a psychological approach in dealing with his patients. It should be realised that proper communication is one of the most difficult undertakings. Patients can get frightened, confused or immobilised as a result of faulty communication with their doctors. Sloppy communication often impairs patient-physician relationship. ¹