To provide quality care, doctors must have good interpersonal skills. Research continues to show that certain skills can enhance the quality of care more than the core skills acquired at medical school alone.
Dr. Ed Picardi MD is one of the vocal surgeons who has championed the enhancement of quality care through compassion. Since physicians and surgeons have to talk to their patient as part of the process of administering medical care, interpersonal skills can improve outcomes for both the practice and the patient.
Dr. Ed Picardi MD believes doctors need the following interpersonal skills to enhance the quality of care in their practice:
Communication
Even if a doctor is highly qualified and experienced, it is possible that he may end up not meeting the high standards of care due to poor communication. When patients feel that the physician is disconnected, they get frustrated and confused about their condition or state of health.
Poor communication will distant the patient. The information that is delivered to the patient is not decoded as it should. This means that the quality of care is likely to be compromised by misunderstandings.
Motivation and Empathy
The ability to cognitively understand the emotions of the patient and to inspire them to participate in the healthcare process is critical if the highest level of care is to be realized.
Empathy precedes both motivation and communication. It allows doctors to understand the patient and see beyond the information they volunteer in order to understand their condition and communicate medical information effectively. From this understanding, doctors can then inspire their patients to take action by demonstrating why the treatment option is perfect for them.
Patience and Emotional Intelligence
Patients want physicians and surgeons to understand their situation before they can provide treatment options. To achieve this, practitioners in the medical field need to have patience. Often, the focus is on the efficient use of time rather than on the quality of engagement.
Additionally, medical schools place very little emphasis on interpersonal skills. The result is doctors and surgeons who have high technical aptitude and almost no interpersonal prowess.
Dr. Ed Picardi MD is one medical practitioner who has consistently emphasized the need for surgeons to develop interpersonal skills. Having had a successful practice for more than 3 decades he has pinpointed compassion as one of the most important values health practitioners and institutions need to adapt to enhance patient care. For enhancing interpersonal skills is beneficial to both the practice and the patient.
