Quick Reference Card: Communication between Patient and Professional
Quick Reference Card - Health Professional
HEALTH PROFESSIONAL
Take PART
Good communication requires:
- Creating a partnership with your patient
- Acknowledging that the patient is an expert in coping with the disease
- Decisions that are made together
PREPARE
- Set your goals and prioritize
- Read patient record
- If there, read filled in questionnaires
ASK
- Ask for symptoms, trend, treatment effects
- Ask for goals related to life of your patient
- Ask for emotionally well-being, thoughts, feelings and fears
- Ask if your patient understands your recommendations
- Ask if your patient has any remaining questions
REPEAT
- Repeat what your patient tells you and check if you have understood it well
- Repeat the answer of the patient on your question if needed for proper understanding
TAKE ACTION
- Tell or write down (if necessary):
- Next Steps;
- Directions on medicine;
- Check recommendations for your patient at home;
- Make referrals to other specialists if necessary (physiotherapist, orthopedist, occupational therapist, psychologist, nutritionist etc.)
- Give information material (leaflet disease, patient guides, patient associations)
Quick Reference Card - Patient
PATIENT
Take PART
Good communication requires:
- Creating a partnership with your health professional
- Acknowledging that the health professional is an expert in the treatment of your disease
- Decisions that are made together
PREPARE
- Set your goals and prioritize
- Write down your symptoms and the trend (getting better / worse / the same)
- Report on treatment effects, feelings and fears you want to share
- Write down the questions you want to ask your doctor
- Wear comfortable dressing
- Think if and who you want to take with you for support
ASK
- Ask about diagnosis, tests, treatments, side effects and follow-up
- Ask if you don't understand
- Ask for explanation of difficult terms
- Ask for more time if needed
- Ask for referral e.g. physiotherapist, orthopedist, psychologist, nutritionist or other specialist
REPEAT
- Repeat briefly or write down key points from your visit (diagnosis, prognosis, next steps, and treatment actions)
- Treatment instructions can also be repeated with pharmacist or nurse
TAKE ACTION
- Make sure you ubderstand next steps
- If needed ask for written directions, recipes
- Ask for complementary support (patient leaguer written materials)
- Pick up prescribed medicine
