Enter Lipkin, who claims to have developed a unique model for changing physicians' behavior where traditional lectures and seminars have failed. Not only do the academy's courses change behavior in both the short and long term, he says, but they improve patient outcomes. The communication skills can be built around everyday clinical issues or focused on such topics as pain, dying and dealing with the alcoholic patient, all implicitly recognizing that it is important to treat psychosocial components of disease. All of this serves patients poorly, and it can run up unnecessary costs for health plans and plan sponsors. Better communication is not just for the patient and the plan, however.
Physicians have much to gain in terms of satisfaction.
Burned-out people are less effective. The most significant factor in physician satisfaction is the patient encounter. Physicians with better skills have better-quality patient encounters and are more satisfied and less likely to burn out. Much of the challenge to doctors lies in overcoming a bias toward technical issues, which naturally results from their training, so they can deal with patients who suddenly bring up complex emotional issues, cry or describe deep-seated personal fears. Doctors are faced with a new experience.