ABOUT allDAY

allDAY is the official TODAY blog, your virtual window to Studio 1A and the people who make America's favorite morning show come alive. Whether it's exchanging views with the anchors and contributors or going behind the scenes with the producers, editors, camera people and more, we'll bring you the buzz here at 30 Rock, and we hope you will make this a regular part of your online routine. We want this to be a conversation, so please respond with your comments and questions directly to the blog, and we'll do our best to post what you have to say.



Live from Studio 1A: Chatty Doctors

Posted: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 9:29 AM by Elizabeth Neumann
Filed Under:

When I was younger I used to hate going into stores and having sales assistants talk to me - asking about my clothes or offering to help me find things.  I also didn't like schmoozing with the woman who cut my hair.  In other words, I was incredibly shy.  One thing I always liked, however, was my pediatrician.  He was the nicest man.  He would tell me stories about his kids while getting ready to give me a shot so I wouldn't get too scared.  His chattiness made me look forward to doctor's visits, while a chatty sales clerk would cause me stress.

This morning we had a segment on chatty doctors - how doctors talking to patients about their personal lives can take away from the doctor experience and possibly hinder your health.  WATCH VIDEO.  Researchers visited doctors posing as patients and recorded conversations.  While some examples were extreme - one doctor comparing his or her weight with a patient's - I have to wonder if doctors chatting is actually a serious problem?

Everything in moderation of course - I do think comparisons between doctors and patients should be avoided - but I have to admit, I like having a personal connection with a doctor.  At the same time, if the conversation veers into a too-personal realm, it can also be awkward.  How can doctors walk the line of connecting with patients on a personal level without overstepping their boundaries?  Is it just a matter of common sense?  

Have you ever felt put on the spot by your doctor?  Do you think doctors should avoid personal conversations altogether?  Send us your thoughts... 

MAIN PAGE

Email this EMAIL THIS

Comments

As someone with a chronic disease I have many doctors that I see quite often. My main doctor however is so impersonal that he is cold - he does not discuss himself - which would by & far humanize him a bit. He is rushed & quite cold. This is a doctor at a major university hospital. My other doctors are personable and appear interested in me as a person. That's really the key. So by & far I've not come across any doctors that just ramble on about themselves or try to relate what I'm feeling to them. So I was surprised in this study's results as frankly I just don't see it. In fact it's nice sometimes when they talk about their lives & the normal-ness of it since mine is by far not due to my medical condition.

Ami, San Diego CA (Sent Wednesday, June 27, 2007 11:55 AM)

As a physician assistant and wife of a physician, I feel that there is certainly a place for a medical professional to speak candidly and personally with patients.  Obviously, monopolizing an appointment with personal chatter is not appropriate, but some level of personal interaction should be acceptable.  It establishes a rapport with patients and allows the patient to feel more comfortable with his/her provider.

I always relish the opportunity to make a connection with patients.  I have had many patients who ask about my family, etc.  Over time these patients have opened up to me, bringing in pictures of their grandchildren, their homes, landscaping, etc.  I love these opportunities, but I always make a conscious effort to steer conversations back to the issues at hand, or avoid the chit-chat until the appointment is coming to an end.  

There is an art to being a good conversationalist along with being a competent medical professional and part of that is to recognize when you have monopolized a conversation or have talked too long.  I believe patients like to know a bit about their provider and like to know that he/she is down to earth.

Monica H, Seymour Indiana (Sent Wednesday, June 27, 2007 1:47 PM)



SEND A COMMENT

PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):

Your name, city and state (John Doe, Seattle, Wash.): 

 Your e-mail address (jdoe@msnbc.com):

Your website (it's okay if you don't have one):

Remember me? (We'll keep it private)

More allDAY

Recent Posts:

Archives:

Categories

Syndicate This Site

Add allDAY to your news reader:
live.com xml
myyahoo msn
bloglines newsgator
google

MSNBC Weblogs

More Links