Tune in to hear Dr. Abramson talk about “bedside manner”, a central element of patient care. Dr. Abramson also shares his perspective and insights from years of training, including actionable communication tips and practical takeaways.
Studies from the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) and Healthgrades have confirmed that patients overwhelmingly want their physician providers to not just be smart and technically astute, but to also show compassion, comfort, patience, personality, and bedside manner.
“The patient will never care how much you know until they know how much you care.” This quote aptly summarizes today’s episode of the Prosperous Doc®, where host Shane Tenny, CFP® welcomes Dr. Scott Abramson, a retired neurologist who practiced medicine for over 40 years with Kaiser Permanente in Northern California.
Dr. Abramson is also the author of a book titled, Bedside Manners for Physicians and Everybody Else: What They Don't Teach in Medical School or Any Other School, which includes stories from his extensive medical experience and from coaching colleagues in the mission of physician communication.
Name: Dr. Scott Abramson
What he does: Dr. Scott Abramson is a retired neurologist who practiced medicine for over 40 years with Kaiser Permanente in Northern California. He's also the author of the book, Bedside Manners for Physicians and Everybody Else: What They Don't Teach in Medical School or Any Other School.
Dr. Abramson has been passionately involved in physician communication and physician wellness endeavors. While retired from neurology, Dr. Abramson remains actively engaged in these pursuits. He has conducted numerous workshops in these areas and has personally coached many physicians.
He has developed programs on time management, physician-patient communication, marriage in medicine, burnout, the threatened physician, difficult conversations, storytelling, and his favorites: “The Secret of Happiness” and “What the Great Wisdom of Country Music Can Teach Physicians.”
Dr. Abramson also has a website and YouTube channel called Doctor Wisdom, where he shares insights and stories from his extensive experience and years of practice.
Words of wisdom: “My hope is that number one, you will develop a better connection with your patients because if they like you, they will connect with you. If they connect with you, they'll trust you. If they trust you, they're gonna follow your advice. If they follow your advice, they're gonna have a better outcome. Number one is better patient outcome.
The second thing is better clinician outcome because when you connect with people, when you can do that on a human level and not just, you know, find it, fix it, explain it, go bye-bye, it brings such joy and meaning to your medical practice.”
Top takeaways from this episode
[04:48] Toastmasters: Toastmasters is an organization that teaches people about public speaking and public listening. Dr. Abramson thought that if he could bring those listening skills to patient care, it could make a difference. And he found that it did.
[09:01] What matters: When you eliminate the simple three-letter word, “the,” you are asking the patient, “What matters,” instead of “What’s the matter.” This is the crucial thing about communication: what matters.
[11:09] Myth-busters: It’s a myth that a good bedside manner has to take more time. If you can ask the right questions, then you don’t need to spend a lot of time with your patients to have a genuine interaction. Asking the right questions will also make the patient feel a better connection with you.
[19:20] Empathic statement: One of the things Dr. Abramson teaches about communicating with empathy is to make it a habit with every patient. All it takes is one empathic statement.
[28:28] Bowling anyone?: One of Dr. Abramson’s communications tips is to make a simple social comment. It takes very little time and makes the patient feel more connected to you. It will also save you time in the long run because the patient will trust you and be willing to take your advice.
[32:25] Shout-outs: Dr. Abramson would like to thank Dr. Terry Stein, who started the communication effort at Kaiser. Dr. Abramson would also like to thank Dr. Mahendra Somasundaran, who was one of his attendings in the 1970s. He was humble, caring, and compassionate to his patients and became a role model to Dr. Abramson. Finally, Dr. Ambramson would like to thank his father, who was a vacuum cleaner salesman all his life and believed in everything he sold.
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Disclaimer: Prosperous Doc podcast by Spaugh Dameron Tenny highlights real-life stories from doctors, dentists, and those whose work can help them to encourage and inspire listeners through discussions of professional successes and failures in addition to personal stories and financial wellness advice. Spaugh Dameron Tenny is a comprehensive financial planning firm serving doctors and dentists throughout the U.S. To find out more about Spaugh Dameron Tenny, visit our website at www.sdtplanning.com. You can also connect with our host, Shane Tenny, CFP®, at shane@prosperousdoc.com.
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