Episodes
Dennis Novack, MD, founder of DocCom.org, an online communication skills program for hospitals, residency programs and medical schools, discusses the influence of Dr. George Engel, research about the impact of good communication skills and best practices for teaching communication skills. This is the final episode of the podcast. Host Barbara Lewis can be reached at [email protected].
Published 11/30/19
Mitchell D. Feldman, MD, MPhil, discusses how to mentor trainees to help them find their purpose and reconnect with their reason for entering the profession; the steps for integrating personal and professional life; the Japanese ikigai as a guide; traits of compulsivity and three questions at the end of the day to reconnect with purpose.
Published 11/23/19
Rob Shochet, MD, discusses relationship centered communication strategy, three important skill sets, how to use the computer in the exam room and other communication techniques.
Published 11/16/19
John Christensen, PhD, describes the medical conditions where hypnosis is used and verbal techniques on how to use hypnosis by talking to patients to improve outcomes.
Published 11/09/19
Homa Dost, MD, a surgeon in Afghanistan discusses the challenges in finding joy in her work.
Published 11/02/19
Elizabeth Morrison, LCSW, MAC, discusses the fascinating research on empathy's impact on health outcomes and three important techniques to convey empathy.
Published 10/26/19
Kathy Cole-Kelly, MS, MSSW, discusses how to identify medical students who need communication remediation and the specific steps she undertakes to ensure they pass Step 2 CS.
Published 10/19/19
In about a quarter of all patients seen in a year have in a mental health disorder of depression, substance use or anxiety. Unfortunately, clinicians aren't trained on what to do. Oftentimes, the physical symptoms signal an underlying mental issue. Listen to Bob Smith, MD, talk about the red flag complaints and how treating the mental disorder helps the physical ailment. His episode on patient-centered interviewing is one of the top three downloaded podcasts.
Published 10/12/19
David Pendleton, DPhil, discusses how to sustain trust, how to address a patient when trust is lost and what to do when is trust undermined.
Published 10/05/19
Howard Beckman, MD, discusses why every clinician needs to know the patients' goals, how articulating goals improves outcomes and helps the clinicians and what the research reflects; he encourages people to continue his innovative research.
Published 09/28/19
Ted Parran, MD, discusses how to deal with the 10 percent of the U.S. population with a substance use disorder, who seek euphoric drugs. How to say NO without jeopardizing the relationship or suffering low patient satisfaction scores, and how to help the patient understand your position and de-escalate a conversation using the PEARLS technique.
Published 09/21/19
Kevin Dorsey, MD, PhD, discusses his experiences with patients when he's his genuine self. He describes his empathy course and his students' reactions years later.
Published 09/14/19
Jeannette Shorey, MD, discusses how to conduct a very efficient patient encounter by learning non-verbal cues, which can save time for a clinician, how to handle mixed messages, how mirroring can influence the patient.
Published 09/07/19
Anthony Suchman, MD, MA, FACP, talks about the three guideposts for developing relationships, the mistakes that clinicians make in developing relationships with patients and how clinician can quickly develop relationships with patients in the era of shortened appointments.
Published 08/31/19
Marcus Engel, MS, CXPX, CSP, discusses the most impactful words, which clinicians said to him, after being blinded in a horrific automobile accident and spending over six weeks in the hospital. Learn more about Marcus at MarcusEngel.com and read his books, "I'm Here" and the Other End of the Stethoscope."
Published 08/24/19
Lisa Sanders, MD, is author of  the popular NYT column, Diagnosis, which inspired the TV program, House M.D. Another NYT column is the basis for a 7-hour documentary on the process of diagnosis, which airs on Netflix in 8/19. Her most recent book is Diagnosis: Solving the Most Baffling Medical Mysteries. The podcast conversation is about how to organize the patient encounter, techniques for showing the patient that you're interested in their story, use of video tape with residents and...
Published 08/17/19
Elaine Khoong, MD, MS, discusses the rationale for using certified medical interpreters and the astounding error rate when ad hoc (e.g. family member) interpreters are used, how you explain to patients that you want to use a certified medical  interpreter rather than an ad hoc interpreter and resources to help communicate with LEP patients.
Published 08/10/19
Co-author of the DocCom module on high performance teams, Carol Mostow, LICSW, discusses the RESPECT model, an acronym for Respect, Explanatory model, Social context, Power, Empathy, Concerns and Trust. Learn how using a quick technique can change the entire tone of a meeting. 
Published 08/03/19
Susmita Pati, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Program Advisor for the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University discusses what individuals, teams and systems can do to rekindle joy. 
Published 07/27/19
Listen to renowned author and cardiologist, Eric Topol, MD, discuss the five qualities of deep understanding and how clinicians can incorporate them into their practice, using smart phone technology to bond with the patient and crying with a patient.
Published 07/20/19
Well-known book author Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD, discusses how listening affects the quality of what patients say, the golden minute, full frontal listening and how listening impacts diagnostic error and burnout.
Published 07/13/19
Kelly McCutcheon Adams, MSW, LCSW, talks about IHI's Conversation Ready project and end of life conversations. Learn how systems can become ready; the Conversation Ready principles: Exemplify, Connect, Engage and Steward all of which are the foundation for respect; and the advantages for systems to be conversation ready. The IHI white paper and tool kit are available at ihi.org. 
Published 07/06/19
Krista Hirschmann, PhD, discusses a unique methodology for motivating patients to manage their care and helping patients to take control of their situation, so they don't feel so overwhelmed.
Published 06/29/19
Sateesh Arja, MD,MPH, discusses using humanities to inspire empathy; incorporating NURS and PEARLS technique to develop empathy and the challenges to empathy.
Published 06/22/19