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. 2021 Feb 23:8:2374373521996962.
doi: 10.1177/2374373521996962. eCollection 2021.

Exam Room Culture

Paul J Hershberger  1 , Katharine Conway  1 , Justin M Chu  2
Affiliations

Exam Room Culture

Paul J Hershberger et al. J Patient Exp. .

Abstract

If the minds of patients could be read, one would likely discover thoughts related to the culture of the clinical environment. "Do I belong here?" "Will I be judged?" "Is it safe to be honest?" We consider what physicians can do to create a culture in the exam room that corresponds to features found in the cultures of successful organizations. These characteristics include an emphasis on psychological safety for patients, a willingness to be vulnerable on the part of the physician, and a sincere focus on the patient's purpose. Our conclusion is that by prioritizing such elements, the clinical encounter may be more satisfying and productive for the patient and physician alike.

Keywords: chronic disease management; culture; patient engagement; patient–physician relationship.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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