Psychology of the communication between doctors/nurses and patients in nephrology and dialysis

Abstract

People with a chronic kidney condition can live with their disease for several years, during which the illness becomes “an integral aspect of life” and requires “an arduous and continuous process of adaptation at multiple levels: cognitive, emotional and physical”. Often, communicating with doctors is not helpful to these patients in understanding what is happening and reorganizing their lives, as ineffective communication strategies are employed. It is in fact necessary to overcome obstacles such as the use of incomprehensible technical language, ambiguity, the lack of communication training and the abundance of stressful situations.

Chronically ill patients have the right to be informed in a simple, clear and impartial way about their condition and its possible treatments; this information will help them manage their kidney disease, “accept” it and find the motivation to adhere to medical prescriptions over time.

 

Keywords: Communication, doctor, nurse, chronic patient

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

Introduzione

Quando una persona perde la funzionalità dei propri reni, la sua vita e quella dei suoi familiari cambia redicalmente perché la malattia renale è cronica, la dialisi e il trapianto sono terapie impegnative e continuate nel tempo [1]. 

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Doctor-Patient communication

Abstract

The Doctor-Patient relationship is of fundamental importance in the field of care and continues to undergo profound transformations. In ancient times the doctor was “authoritarian”: the patient was considered a passive element, incapable of understanding, knowing and acting for his own health. The doctor then became a “paternalistic” figure and it is only recently that the patient has become a responsible subject who interacts with the doctor in the definition and evaluation of every health intervention. The patient needs to be actively involved and informed, participating in the therapeutic process and in monitoring the positive and negative effects of the treatment. The doctor needs to communicate in a way that is simple and appropriate in order to avoid misunderstandings, which are very common as patients and doctors can often attribute different meanings to certain words. Doctors need to be aware that such a possibility exists and verify that the patient has understood the real meaning of his words. As good communication between doctors and patients is a strategic factor in care, communication courses should be included in any Medical Degree course.

 

Keywords: communication, doctor, humanisation, patient

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

Introduzione

Il rapporto medico-paziente è un libro aperto, un “work in progress”, che nel corso dei secoli ha subito e continua a subire profonde trasformazioni in relazione e parallelamente a quelle della vita sociale.

Sulla problematicità del rapporto comunicativo tra medico e paziente tanto è già stato scritto: molta attenzione è stata dedicata all’argomento sia dai clinici, sia dagli psicologi, sia dai sociologi, ma solo negli ultimi anni il problema è stato affrontato con il metodo della ricerca scientifica.

In questa sede si vuole brevemente porre in evidenza le molteplici caratteristiche di questo rapporto, che è alla base della vita di quasi tutti i cittadini. 

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