By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    healthy hobbies
    The Importance of Hobbies for Our Health
    September 15, 2024
    Whiplash
    Understanding Whiplash: A Guide For Healthcare Practitioners
    January 22, 2025
    research chemicals and health care
    Chemical Research Drive Medical Breakthroughs
    June 14, 2023
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Hospitals and Providers Using NHIN (Nationwide Health Information Network)
    March 11, 2012
    Image
    Physicians With High Productivity And Satisfaction Scores Employ Strong Patient-Centered Communication Skills
    May 7, 2013
    My Solution to the Healthcare Crisis
    March 31, 2012
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Doctor/Patient Relationship: Too Much Information, Too Little Communication
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Public Health > Doctor/Patient Relationship: Too Much Information, Too Little Communication
Public Health

Doctor/Patient Relationship: Too Much Information, Too Little Communication

Steve Wilkins
Steve Wilkins
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

One of the biggest problems with health care today is that there is way too much information and way too little communication going on between providers and patients.

Here’s a great quote that explains what I mean:

One of the biggest problems with health care today is that there is way too much information and way too little communication going on between providers and patients.

Here’s a great quote that explains what I mean:

More Read

Medicare Trustees Release Annual Report
Depression and Diabetes Linked
The Medical Marijuana Mess
What Do Patients Want From Pharma?
RAM (Remote Area Medical) Free Clinic in Virginia Sees Over 4000 Patients

The two words information and communication are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.

Sydney Harris,  Journalist

I was reminded of this and the quote from “Cool Hand Luke” in an exchange I had with a primary care physician on LinkedIn recently.   In that exchange, which dealt with long-term physician-patient relationships, I hypothesized that intentional non-adherence may be the by-product of situations in which physicians and patients in long-term relationships simply grow to distrust each other.

The good doctor commented as follows:

“In the end, it is the patient’s decision to be compliant or not, yet many physicians continue to care for these patients because someone must. Would the patient comply better with a new doctor? I doubt it. “

I replied to the good doctor’s comment as follows:

“True…the decision to comply or not is up to patients.  But the evidence shows that compliance is not a product simply of bad patient behavior. Non-compliance is an outcome for which both physician and patient have shared responsibility.

I suggest that most people would be a lot more likely to comply if they: 1) understood and agreed with the need for the prescription and 2) believed that the benefits of taking the medication outweighed the risks and concerns. But these issues are seldom brought up by the physician or the patient, due to limited time, provider attitudes and beliefs about patient, and so on.”

Then he dropped the A-bomb – a move intended to silence anyone who would dare challenge physician authority and learnedness:

A professional who deals with this on a daily basis can explain meds, conditions, etc. very quickly and to the satisfaction of the patient.

That’s when it occurred to me…too much information and not enough communication

No doubt most providers today are proficient at quickly giving information to patients (including telling them what to do).  What most providers (and people in general) are not good at is effectively communicating, e.g.,  getting through, with patients (or each other).   Anyone who has ever been married knows the difference between information giving and communicating.

And how would the good doctor know that his patients understood the information he gave them…not to mention their being satisfied with it?   Surely he’s not banking his revenue going forward under P4P on his patient satisfaction surveys alone.

If anything, the weight of evidence suggests that his patients probably do not understand the information he quickly doles out and probably are not particularly  satisfied with it.   Like many of us, his patients probably do not want to confront the good doctor choosing instead to ignore his recommendations or seek advice elsewhere, e.g., non-adherence.

But as with any good relationship, effective spouse-centered (I mean patient-centered) communications is key.   To truly engage the other party, you have to know where they are coming from, what’s important to them and never, never ask them to do more than they are willing and able to do.  I had to say that since my wife proof reads my blog posts…lol).

That’s what I think…what’s your opinion?

 

TAGGED:doctor/patient relationship
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025
engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Innovating Healthcare System Strategy: Creating the Commercial ACO

September 30, 2012

FDA Accepts NDA for VIVUS’ Qnexa

November 4, 2011

Ahead of Reform, States Musing Options for Coverage Fluctuations

August 6, 2013

New Study Reaffirms the Weight of Obesity on our Health Care System

March 28, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?