A Career Attending to, and Teaching About, the Patient-Doctor Relationship

About this episode

Dr. Michelle Kittleson and Dr. Adam Cifu discuss the complexities of the patient-doctor relationship and strategies for effective communication in challenging situations.

Dr. Michelle Kittleson and Dr. Adam Cifu get real about the patient-doctor relationship, especially when the stakes are high and the answers are not simple. She shares a small move that can ease a patient’s anxiety in seconds: showing you came prepared, with their story already in your hands. They talk through shared decision making, why patients should steer, and why clinicians still need to give a clear recommendation. They also spend time on the toughest pivot of all: when cure is off the table, what do you say next, and what can you still do to reduce suffering?

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Adam Cifu

Guest: Dr. Michelle Kittleson

Topics covered

• patient-doctor relationship
• shared decision making
• patient anxiety
• communication in healthcare
• end-of-life care

Keywords

• patient-doctor relationship
• shared decision making
• patient anxiety
• communication
• end-of-life care
• healthcare

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