How to establish a good doctor-patient relationship?

Establishing a good doctor-patient relationship is the core of medical services.Communication, trust, empathy, professionalism and institutional guaranteeStart from five aspects. First, doctors need to communicate with patients in clear and easy-to-understand language and avoid professional jargon; second, they should be patient-centered and respect their right to know and choose; finally, medical institutions should improve the complaint handling mechanism and create an environment of mutual trust. The following will be explained from specific practices.

1. Effective communication is the cornerstone of the doctor-patient relationship

Doctors should actively listen to patients’ complaints and use"Empathic Expression"(e.g., “I understand your concerns.”) Close the distance. The American Medical Association states,70% of medical disputes result from insufficient communication. For example, Peking Union Medical College Hospital implements the "three-minute rule", which requires doctors to reserve at least 3 minutes to answer questions during the first consultation. At the same time, avoid using absolute promises (such as "guaranteed cure"), in line with the requirements of the "Medical Advertising Management Measures".

2. Building trust requires both professionalism and transparency.

Doctors need to earn trust through standardized operations and transparency of medical conditions. Academician Zhong Nanshan once emphasized:“For every 10% increase in patients’ trust in doctors, treatment compliance increases by 34%.”For example, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University adopts "diagnosis and treatment process visualization" to display the examination progress through electronic screens. In addition, medical institutions can introduce third-party supervision, such as the "Doctor-Patient Communication Satisfaction" quarterly publicity system implemented by the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission.

3. Combining institutional guarantees and humanistic care

Hospitals need to establish standardized service processes, such as the "first-diagnosis responsibility system" of West China Hospital in Sichuan, to ensure that patient problems are tracked throughout the process. At the same time, drawing on the Mayo Clinic’s"Patient Experience Officer"post, and collect feedback on a regular basis. Some domestic tertiary hospitals (such as Xiangya Hospital) have piloted "doctor-patient communication training courses" using"Guide to Doctor-Patient Communication Skills"(People's Medical Publishing House) as a teaching material.

Conclusion: A two-way harmonious relationship

A good doctor-patient relationship requires doctors to provide professional and transparent services, patients to give rational trust, and society to improve mediation mechanisms. For example, through the "Doctor-Patient Co-construction Day" event at Wuhan Tongji Hospital, the number of complaints dropped by 27% in 2022. It is recommended to refer to the "Medical Institution Complaint Management Measures" issued by the National Health Commission and continue to optimize the service model based on specific cases (such as the online communication tool of the "Ping An Good Doctor" platform).

Quote sources:
1. Academician Zhong Nanshan delivered a speech at the 2020 Chinese Medical Doctor Association Annual Conference
2. People's Medical Publishing House "Guide to Doctor-Patient Communication Skills" (ISBN 978-7-117-30562-3)
3. National Health Commission's "Measures for the Management of Complaints about Medical Institutions" (released in 2019)
4. Medical institution cases: Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Mayo Clinic, Ping An Good Doctor (Ping An Health Medical Technology Co., Ltd.)