Aware and Concerned
written by Janis - July 24th, 2010 at 11:47 am
Aware and Concerned
One of the most significant components to a patient interview is discovering what the patient is aware of and concerned about even before you do an exam. I like to have a new patient take me on a tour of their mouth describing the dentistry they have had in the past and the story behind it. I listen for patient’s values about health and what might be ideal for them in the future. When there is a gap between what the patient understands about their health conditions and what you discover during the exam, the patient may experience cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is a state of mental distress in determining what to trust or believe.
Cognitive dissonance can be manifested in the following symptoms:
- Denial
- Shut Down
- Anger
- Depression
- Confusion
- Avoidance
- Withdrawal
- Blame
- Fight / Flight
- Sarcasm
- Procrastination
Our job as patient facilitators is to close the gap between what they may have understood (aware), what they came in wanting help with (concerned) and what they are now learning (conditions and recommendations). When the gap is wide, presenting a comprehensive treatment plan can be overwhelming and send your new patient packing. While we are responsible to help patients understand their conditions, our greatest gift may be to give them hope and encouragement.
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