—
Being faced with an unprecedented global crisis has brought to the forefront a new set of challenges for physicians in all domains. Since family physicians share one of the strongest and most intimate relationships with their patients, their role in managing the pandemic is crucial.
During times of social distancing, interpersonal and communication skills can help offer reassurance to patients. Furthermore, a humanistic approach to medicine is most welcome in such dehumanizing times. Finally, critical thinking can facilitate the effective distribution of the limited resources available in the healthcare system.
1. Humanism
To have a humanistic perspective as a medical practitioner means to view the patient and all other individuals from the healthcare system, first and foremost, as humans and treat them accordingly. Such a perspective draws on communication and interpersonal skills to make the patient feel treated with care and consideration. Empathy is recognized as having an essential role in accelerating the healing process.
Family physicians tend to see the patient as a whole and complex entity. However, this singular entity is considered within the larger frame of family and community. During the pandemic era, driven by social distancing measures a humanistic approach can help fill out that craving for interaction and understanding that we share as a species.
Furthermore, on account of humanistic views, family physicians can easily rise to be community leaders during times of crisis. Some practitioners have used their intimate knowledge of the community they have served for and ties built over the years to help people unite in the pandemic.
As one medical expert confessed, he organized meetings with important members of the community to discuss issues relating to COVID-19. These soon turned into weekly gatherings. By acting on multiple levels – from the individual to the community – this family physician turned health officer has helped keep the virus cases lower in his county.
2. Interpersonal Skills
The family physician is perhaps the medical practitioner who is most familiarized with a patient’s health history. Repeated interactions over the years can lead to a strong patient-doctor relationship. The specifics of the field create a nurturing context for a physician’s interpersonal skills.
Private sessions spent with the patient are a priceless opportunity for someone to open up about any health-related problems. If they do so, this might increase the outreach preventive medicine. Time spent with a family physician should be a safe space for patients to share their anxieties and seek answers.
This is even more relevant during the COVID-19 context. A family physician should help their patients navigate all the misinformation spread across the media and find sound scientific answers.
3. Communication Skills
Good communication skills have become more important during COVID-19. Medics have to share information and updates with patients and their loved ones about the new virus. Physicians also inform patients of possible courses of action and discuss together which would be the most viable one. Also, when fatalities occur, explaining to family members why their loved ones could not be saved, while others were, can be a daunting task.
The current global context posed many new challenges for medical specialists. Since COVID-19 patients are isolated while under treatment, they were not able to say goodbye to their loved ones in person. Many physicians have helped to facilitate virtual communication between dying patients and their families.
Candidates who can demonstrate such communication and interpersonal skills have a better chance to find a family practice physician job opening to their liking.
4. Critical Thinking
Family physicians must have a holistic knowledge of medicine as a discipline to help their patients. They also need to have sharp critical thinking skills to identify the best course of treatment. Being able to quickly recognize the strengths and weaknesses of a strategy is all the more important now. What is more, creativity in setting out a treatment plan and resource distribution is also highly valued.
The healthcare system has been dealing with shortages in basically all departments since the onset of the pandemic. Quick thinking can limit exposure between patient and practitioner. Furthermore, it can lead to early treatment and thus ensure a better rate of recovery. What is more, critical thinking can help in the process of decision-making when allocating scarce resources.
Final Thoughts
The pandemic has invested certain family physician skills with more importance than before. Through efficient communication and interpersonal skills, practitioners can help patients and their loved ones better cope with the current situation. Furthermore, they can also help increase the efficiency of the healthcare system through informed resource allocation.
—
This content is brought to you by Ronald Oman.
Photo: Shutterstock
