This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Here are 10 ways to improve health communication with patients.
No. 1: Be an active listener
The first tip is to be an active listener and help guide the history-taking process by asking for clarification when needed.
Quickly figure out the patient’s chief complaint. Which symptom is the most severe?
Ask them for symptom-modifying factors, such as onset, duration, frequency, and a pain description. Is the abdominal pain sharp or crampy, dull and achy, or pressure-like? What makes the symptoms better or worse?
As many of us were taught in medical school, 80% of the diagnosis is in a patient’s history and description.
No. 2: Ask questions that resonate with patients
What can we do to help elicit an accurate history from the patient when they’re not providing the needed information or being helpful enough?
The easiest way is to ask your patient in a completely different way but one that resonates with them. For instance, ask how the abdominal pain is affecting their quality of life. That will help focus the history taking and encourage the patient to share details.
Does the pain keep them awake at night? Are they able to eat a normal-sized meal? Or are they forced to eat tiny snacks? Is the pain interfering with work or school?
By providing a framework, the patient will be more passionate about sharing the details of their history.
No. 3: Help patients organize their story
Sometimes, patients provide details in a nonchronological order, jumping all over the place.
A super helpful technique is to explain to the patient that you have a story to write for your computer note, and for them to think back to when they first started noticing their abdominal pain or rectal bleeding symptoms. When were the most-severe episodes? How frequent are the episodes? What’s the volume of their rectal bleeding?
If the patient realizes that you’re trying to write a story synopsis, they will provide information in a much more organized way.
No. 4: Determine patient’s language preference
Quickly determine the patient’s language preference. We want patients to feel extremely comfortable.
Whenever possible, use a certified interpreter. Language phone lines, in-person interpreters, and video conferencing are widely available today. It’s worth investing in this technology so that we can provide the best possible care to immigrants and refugees.
Conversely, avoid using family members as interpreters because they may not be adequately trained in medical vocabulary.
No. 5: Use simple language
When providing explanations, use simple language that your patient can understand and identify with.
For example, use analogies like “the heart is a pump” or the diverticula are thin areas of the colon that can bleed if the blood vessel is too close to the surface.
No. 6: Determine level of medical literacy
Determine your patient’s level of medical literacy. Some of our patients did not graduate from high school. Some patients can’t read very well. Therefore, your discharge instructions and handouts should sometimes be written on a third-grade level.
If patients can’t read, write medication instructions with symbols. Draw a sun for medications that are supposed to be taken in the morning and draw a moon if a medication is supposed to be taken at night.
Always very carefully review the instructions with the patient.
No. 7: Check in with the patient
During the visit, frequently check in with the patient to make sure that they understand what you’re asking or what you’re trying to explain to them.
No. 8: Include family member as patient advocate
If the patient is accompanied by a family member, help them serve in the important role as a patient advocate.
If the family member wants to take notes, encourage them because that provides an awesome value.
Sometimes patients can forget clinic and hospital medical conversations, and that family member might be the key to improving your patient’s health.
No. 9: Follow-up with the patient
If your clinic has the capability, follow up with a patient the next day to make sure that they understood everything.
Check to make sure the patient was able to pick up all of the medications that you prescribed.
Check that laboratory tests are arranged or completed.
Check that important procedures, such as esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy, and imaging, such as ultrasounds and CTs, are scheduled.
No. 10: Identify barriers to care
Have fun talking with a patient. Find out what they do for a living. Build a rapport. Listen to their stressors in life.
Try to identify any barriers to care or external stressors, like taking care of a sick parent, which might interfere with their scheduling an important diagnostic colonoscopy for rectal bleeding.
Good luck incorporating these communication strategies into your clinic and hospital work. Together, we can help improve the delivery of health care.
Dr. Levy is a gastroenterologist at the University of Chicago. In 2017, Dr. Levy, a previous Fulbright Fellow in France, also started a gastroenterology clinic for refugees resettling in Chicago. His clinical projects focus on the development of colorectal cancer screening campaigns. Dr. Levy, who recently gave a TEDx Talk about building health education campaigns using music and concerts, organizes Tune It Up: A Concert To Raise Colorectal Cancer Awareness with the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG). He frequently publishes on a variety of gastroenterology topics and serves on ACG’s Public Relations Committee and FDA-Related Matters Committee. He has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.