5 Days at Her Mother's Bedside Were Eye-Opening for an Oncologist

Dr Pamela Kunz said, "As a doctor, I thought I had a unique perspective on what was and was not being done well, until I looked at everything through the eyes of a patient's relative".

Kunz, named Woman Oncologist of the Year in the USA in 2021, is director of the Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers at Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center in New Haven, Connecticut. However, when her mother was hospitalized, she was drawn into a very different role.

Her mother, who had difficulty hearing, was confused by the healthcare workers coming and going in her hospital room and needed someone to interpret what was happening for her. Observing inpatient care at her mother's side was surprising and enlightening for Kunz.

Kunz added, "We doctors are used to deciding on a patient's treatment plan and moving on to the next patient, but we must not forget the human relationship side of this work. Being at the bedside of someone you love and are close to is a very different experience. I wish I had seen this earlier".

Deciding to share her experience on Twitter, Kunz used the heading "pearls of communication" to describe some of the points she had considered and her suggestions. These were:

Pearls of Communication

1. Introduce yourself to the patient with your full name, explain your role and introduce your team. Keep your identification badge visible. The number of people entering and leaving rooms can be very confusing for patients and their relatives. For example, "My name is Dr. X. I am a resident on the internal medicine team."
2. End your patient visit with a summary of the day's plan.
3. Avoid medical jargon. Speak slowly and clearly. Remember that, for your patients and their family members, you are a teacher.
4. Masks make hearing difficult, especially for patients with hearing loss.
5. Many older patients become confused in hospital, so repetition is very helpful.
6. At least once a day, to communicate the plan, speak with a family member.
7. Try to avoid last-minute or surprise discharges - these make patients and family members anxious. From day 1, discuss discharge planning and what needs to happen before a safe discharge. "X, Y, X must happen before you can leave the hospital."
8. Try, with your patients, to talk about something else besides the reason they came to hospital (advice I once received from a wise mentor).
9. If possible, sit at eye level with your patient (I love these stools at @YNHH).
10. Take time to listen to the patient and their relative.

Dr Kunz concluded her suggestions with a golden rule:

And finally, treat your patient as you would treat a relative.

This message quickly received thousands of likes and shares on Twitter. Kunz, who was happy to see the comments below her post, said, "This is an example of the human side of medicine. Doctors may not always have much time to spare, but putting a few of these points into practice will not take long. The time we set aside for each patient is our investment in them".

She was delighted that a resident called her every lunchtime to update her on her mother's condition. "This was very valuable".