Listening So Our Patients Can Speak

Most healthcare providers graduate with a healthy understanding of the importance of listening to patients. Even though we cannot overstate the need to listen to patients, listening requires skills that can sometimes be neglected or forgotten. Healthcare providers often find that there are myriad obstacles in utilizing this precious tool in our skill set. Active listening means paying attention to sound, hearing with thoughtful attention, and giving consideration to mitigating factors. Listening requires us to receive the speaker’s words, understand the information presented, and process it appropriately. The purpose of this article is to explore the skill of active listening, which is critical to the provider-patient relationship. This article will accomplish this purpose by answering the following questions: What does it mean to listen well? Why do we need to listen well? How do we listen better, and who benefits when we become good listeners? This article is intended for healthcare providers who utilize listening skills for diagnosis, management of common conditions, and formation of critical therapeutic relationships in delivering care to patients throughout the lifespan.