AJN Review of “What Patients Say, What Doctors Feel”
Can any of us, nurses or physicians, say that we always listen as well as we should, giving each patient’s story our full attention? Like physicians, nurses feel the unrelenting pressure of time constraints. Ironically, such listening can save time in the long run. More
BMJ review of “What Patients Say, What Doctors Feel”
It is the oldest tool in any doctor’s bag, and it is as important today as it was 200 years ago. It is not a device, gadget or pill. The side-effects are minimal, and it’s amongst the cheapest remedies around. It is, of course, the art of conversation More
Intima review of “What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear”
In a time when technology seems to outpace humanity, many in the medical profession are trying to bridge the communication gap. One indicator is the growing recognition of the importance of stories – personal narratives of patients and doctors – as a key component of successful medical practice. More
Doctors say one thing, patients often hear something else
It really is amazing how powerful our words can be in shaping people’s health outcomes. We need to better understand how even a small difference in the way something is said can have immense benefits for the health of our patients. More
The prescription for better health outcomes: communication
Danielle Ofri talks with Kerri Miller, host of Minnesota Public Radio about how doctor-patient communication has (or has not) evolved over the years, and how this affects medical outcomes. More
Audiophile Review of “What Patients Say, What Doctors Feel” audiobook
Narrator Ann M. Richardson shares Ofri’s research and perspective with a personal touch. Richardson’s narration is upbeat, with concern in her voice when necessary, matching the best-case scenario for a doctor’s voice. Her narration can shift in tone adeptly. As she discusses the medical jargon for death–“expired”–her voice captures the absurdity of the euphemism, then becomes somber as she explains the fears behind the euphemism. One can occasionally even hear the lump in her throat as she reads a grim prognosis. More
Doctors Need Better Communication
When patients speak with their doctor about the symptoms they’re experiencing, miscommunication often gets in the way of proper treatment. Danielle Ofri, an associate professor at the New York University School of Medicine, shared her wisdom about doctor-patient interaction Thursday night to a room full of medical professionals and students More
Lancet review of “What Patients Say; What Doctors Hear”
“For all the sophisticated diagnostic tools of modern medicine, the conversation between doctor and patient remains the primary diagnostic tool.” This idea lies at the heart of Danielle Ofri’s new book What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear, in which she acknowledges, dissects, experiments with, and analyses the complexities and miscues of the patient–doctor exchange. More
WNYC Interview at New York Public Library
A conversation between Danielle Ofri and Mary Harris, host of WNYC’s Only Human podcast. In NYPL’s beautiful 53rd Street library, Danielle and Mary discuss how doctors and patients communicate (or don’t!) More
McGill News review of “What Patients Say,What Doctors Hear”
Many physicians struggle to treat their patients while adhering to their very tight schedules. What happens when there’s a huge disconnect in this very intimate relationship? More
Review by Terri Schlichenmeyer
This is the book you want to read in the waiting room at your next doctor’s appointment. It’s the one you’ll want to take to the next medical conference. In both cases, it could make a difference: With “What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear,” it’s your listening skills you’ll be examining. More
C-Span Book TV
The book launch for “What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear” was broadcast on C-Span’s Book TV. Watch Danielle’s discussion and reading from NYC’s legendary Strand Bookstore. More
Town & Village review of “What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear”
“My argument is that the doctor-patient conversation is the most important diagnostic tool. What the patient’s telling you is the most important data, more than the MRI, the blood tests, the X-rays.”
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Interview on WBYU Radio
Danielle is interviewed by Julie Rose for WBYU Radio about the challenges of being “heard” when you go to the doctor. Whose “fault” is it? How can it be improved? More
UK Spectator: How to improve bedside manners
Some will always see the doctor-patient exchange as a fluffy appendage to ‘real medicine’. But if Ofri’s book succeeds in easing the passage from ‘presenting complaint’ into open conversation, informative for and complementary to further technical interventions, that would be very good news for both the doctor and the patient. More
