Professor Eisenberg brings to this book four decades of studying, teaching, and writing about various aspects of interpersonal communication. One reviewer's description was, "Eisenberg is not dull!" Readers of his other books regard his writing style as conversational and not beleaguered by technical jargon. Aside from addressing the conventional issues that currently bog down healthcare communication, he exploits some less typical issues such as pseudoaffective communication, somatotyping, appellations, clinical musicology, genderlect, and territoriality. Healthcare providers reading this book should come away with an expanded and more inclusive perspective on how practitioners can enrich their interpersonal skills.

PRESCRIPTIVE COMMUNICATION for the Healthcare Provider

By Abné M. Eisenberg

Trafford Publishing

Copyright © 2012 Abné M. Eisenberg, Ph.D.
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4669-0971-7

Contents

PROFILE OF A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER...........................3BUILDING RAPPORT............................................6CREDIBILITY.................................................9TRUST.......................................................11EMPATHY.....................................................15MEDICAL ETHICS..............................................17IS ANYONE LISTENING?........................................21CRITICAL THINKING...........................................26PERCEPTION OF DIS-EASE......................................31BURNOUT.....................................................35ADMISSIBLE TO A MEDICAL SCHOOL..............................37TRUTH-TELLING...............................................39HUMILITY....................................................41PRECONCEPTIONS & MISCONCEPTIONS.............................47NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING PATIENTS...............................51SELF-DIAGNOSIS..............................................53DESCRIPTION OF SYMPTOMS.....................................56WHY CAN'T PATIENTS FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS?.....................59DEMANDING PATIENTS..........................................62THANKLESS PATIENTS..........................................64HELPLESS PATIENTS...........................................68GAY PATIENTS................................................71GERIATRIC PATIENTS..........................................74HYPOCHONDRIACS..............................................79THE OPPOSITE SEX............................................81MANAGING MEDICATION.........................................84LIFE: AN END OR A BEGINNING.................................87PSEUDOAFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION...............................94FEARFUL PATIENTS............................................96YOUNG PATIENTS..............................................99INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION.................................102DEPERSONALIZATION...........................................104COMPASSION..................................................107INFORMED CHOICE.............................................109INFORMED CONSENT............................................111ROLE OF FAMILY..............................................112IATROGENESIS................................................114GRIEVING....................................................116IMPATIENT PATIENTS..........................................119CHOOSING A DOCTOR...........................................121DENIAL......................................................124COOPERATIVE HEALING.........................................129PATIENT-CENTERED INTERVIEW..................................133WAITING ROOM ANXIETY........................................135CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION................................138INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP PRACTICE................................145ALTERNATIVE or COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE.......................149HEALING ARTS................................................153MEANING OF MEANING IN HEALTHCARE............................162PROPHYLAXIS.................................................166OMBUDSMAN...................................................169SPEECHMAKING................................................171SOCIAL WORKERS..............................................174FAITH HEALING...............................................177CLINICAL MUSICOLOGY.........................................179QUACKERY....................................................182TELEMEDICINE................................................186MEDICAL ILLEGIBILITY........................................188NURSING PROFESSION..........................................191CONFIDENTIALITY.............................................195MANAGED CARE................................................197EUTHANASIA..................................................200TESTING FRENZY..............................................203COMMUNICATION IN THE E R....................................206PIONEERS IN HEALTHCARE......................................208HOSPITAL TEAM PLAYER........................................213MEDIA AND HEALTHCARE........................................215FACIAL DIAGNOSIS............................................218THE RECEPTIONIST............................................221MALPRACTICE.................................................224INTERDISCIPLINARY MEDICINE..................................226MEDSPEAK: A Secret Language.................................228TREATING THE DISABLED.......................................230SPIRITUALITY IN MEDICINE....................................232PATIENT SATISFACTION........................................234HEALING POWER OF HUMOR......................................236ACCENT-REDUCTION............................................238FORMS, FORMS, FORMS.........................................240PHARMACIST-PHYSICIAN RELATIONSHIP...........................242BIOETHICS...................................................245MEDICAL INTERPRETERS........................................248MEDICAL ERRORS..............................................251PARADIGM SHIFT..............................................254APPELLATIONS................................................256MORALE......................................................258READING BODY LANGUAGE.......................................263EYE CONTACT.................................................265ANATOMY OF A SMILE..........................................268HEALING TOUCH...............................................272SOMATOTYPING................................................274OLFACTION...................................................276COLOR.......................................................280TERRITORIALITY..............................................282PARALANGUAGE................................................285SILENCE.....................................................287PAIN........................................................290HOPE........................................................293POSTURE.....................................................295INTELLIGENCE................................................297INSTINCT....................................................299BEDSIDE MANNER..............................................302TIME........................................................305INNER VOICES................................................307AFTERWORD...................................................309GLOSSARY....................................................311INDEX.......................................................323

Chapter One

PROFILE OF A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER

A healthy self-esteem is based upon whether you perceive yourself as a success or a failure. If you have a flourishing practice and your patients are forever complimenting you on your dedication and compassion, your self-esteem will invariably be higher. If your practice is failing, your self-esteem will usually suffer.

Your professional persona derives from how you see yourself, how you think others see you, and how you would like them to see you. Of one thing you may be certain, how you see yourself in a mirror is often wishful thinking. People rarely see themselves as they really are. What you say to a patient, how you say it, and how you look when you say it all serve to modify your professional persona.

Your persona is dynamic, not static. At a...