Question

Discuss ways to redirect and refocus patients’ requests for personal

information.

Edit: When a parient asks personal information of a healthcare professional, what are some ways of redirecting the patient.

Answer 1

Ans) Ways to redirect and refocus patients’ requests for personal
information:

1.) Interpret the patient's request

2.) Clarify the meaning behind the request

3.) Simple statement: "I'm not comfortable answering those kinds of questions"

4.) Express benign curiosity

5.) Redirect or refocus

Ways for professional self discloser:

Remember, Before you self-disclose-
Here are some factors to bear in mind when engaging in self-disclosure:

- Only for the purpose of enhancing the patient’s treatment.
- By making the disclosure brief, without taking too much of the patient’s treatment time.
- Not prematurely and better with patients the provider has known for some time.
- After considering the patient’s comfort level and how the information may be perceived.
- Not for personal gratification of the caregiver.
- Not out of obligation to answer personal questions just because the patient asked.
- By being intentional to maintain the professional boundary always.

• Self-disclosure can be a gift to patients that improves their comfort level in the exam room and thereby contributing to the treatment success.

• However, ill-thought-out self-disclosure can in fact have the opposite effect on patients and caregivers need to be aware of all the risks.