More on communication and data collection

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Feb-March, 2007 by Robert A. Anderson

Data from 74 office visits, involving 13 staff physicians and residents, found that only 23% of the time was the patient allowed to complete his/her opening statement of concerns. Sixty-nine percent of the time the doctor interrupted the patient's first statement. This pattern creates a large potential for losing valuable information.

Beckman HB, et al. The effect of physician behavior on the collection of data. Ann Intern Med. 1984 Nov; 101(5):692-96.

COMMENT: How much can a practitioner hear or perceive in a patient's first uncompleted statement? Another study found that the doctor's first interruption came 23 seconds after the patient began speaking.

Robert Anderson

614 Daniels Drive NE

East Wenatchee, Washington 98802-4036

Robert Anderson is a retired family physician whose practice took a holistic turn as decades passed. He has authored five major books: Stress Power!, Wellness Medicine, The Complete Self-Care Guide to Holistic Medicine (co-author), Clinician's Guide to Holistic Medicine (McGraw Hill, 2001), and The Scientific Basis for Holistic Medicine, (6th edition, 2004), available from American Health Press, holos@charter.net. Anderson was the founding president of the American Board of Holistic Medicine, past president of the AHMA, and former Assistant Clinical Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Washington. He is currently an Adjunct Instructor in Family Medicine at Bastyr University.