Medical 2 Intro Field

In the process of delivering medical and health care, the importance of interpersonal communication reaches a pinnacle of importance. When communication systems fail negative outcomes can lead to inadvertent death, disability, and subsequently to multi-million dollar lawsuits. Consumers and providers of medical care would do well to invest time and energy in enhancing accurate, type specific communication strategies at each step in the healthcare delivery process.

History

In medical school students were taught that 70 to 80% of the information needed for an accurate diagnosis was obtained from the history. Investing time in understanding your way and how your way interacts with the three other ways will enhance your ability to gather information accurately.

Physical Examination

Carefully explaining, in terms that the patient will understand, the purposes for each component of a thorough physical exam will enhance the cooperation provided by the patient. Understanding the personality preference of each way can improve the accuracy of the physical examination components.

Diagnostic Tests and X-rays

A careful explanation of the risks and benefits involved in each medical test or x-ray requested is an important aspect of modern medical care. An appreciation of the preference of each way will enhance the accuracy of the patient’s understanding of the need for and expected outcome of each test.

The Explanation of the Diagnosis

Communicating the assessment or diagnosis that has been made in such a way that each way will understand it as accurately as possible is critical to positive outcomes in the healthcare delivery system.

Listing the Treatment Options

When explaining the treatment options to a patient the personality style of that patient can be an important element in how the options are described and how thoroughly the patient understands the various options. Along with the treatment options are the expected follow-up visits. A careful explanation of the importance of these follow-up visits will be better understood if attention to personality style is included in the planned communication. Careful documentation of this communication in writing with type specific feedback is essential.

Lifetime Health Monitoring Systems and Preventive Guidelines

Encouraging a patient to participate in a lifetime health monitoring system which follows preventive health service guidelines requires creative use of personality way specific interests. Certain ways will be more interested in episodic care. Other ways will be easily persuaded to follow recommendations for periodic health assessments.

In an ideal setting the way or personality style of each patient will be known to each member of the clinical service provider team so that at each step in the process of delivering care, the patient will be able to be approached with optimal outcomes as the objectives. This, of course, is a two-way street.

It would also be ideal that each patient would have an understanding of the way of each provider with whom they will be working. In this same ideal setting all members of the team will have an appreciation of the other members of the team.

This again will enhance the likelihood of positive outcomes for the patients and the staff.

The Medical Field