Macht der Worte: Wie ein Arzt spricht, kann übers Patientenwohl entscheiden

In the medical field, the way a doctor speaks can greatly impact a patient's understanding, experience, and overall well-being during treatment. Small nuances in tone and word choice can determine whether a patient is motivated to adhere to their treatment plan and whether a medication is taken as prescribed, ultimately affecting the outcome of their recovery, explains Sven Benson, the head of the institute for medical education at Essen University Hospital.

Benson emphasizes that effective communication is crucial, alongside medical expertise and appropriate patient care. In the past, medicine relied heavily on communication and rituals, but modern medicine has seemingly lost some of this knowledge. Good communication is equally important in diagnosing, understanding, and motivating patients, as well as ensuring patient safety.

When a doctor states that "10 percent of patients experience side effects" instead of "9 out of 10 patients tolerate the medication well," it can trigger the nocebo effect - an unfavorable health outcome caused by negative expectations. Numerous studies demonstrate the powerful impact of this phenomenon. For example, a study showed that the pain-relieving effect of a medication was significantly greater when patients were informed they were receiving the highly effective opioid Remifentanil.

Negative expectations that induced fear of increased pain nearly eliminated the medication's pain-relieving effect. Communication influences whether a patient follows through with a therapy, leading to reduced therapy adherence, discontinuation of treatment, the use of ineffective alternative treatments, and increased doctor visits.

Factors such as patient's internet research or social media reports can also play a role in the communication process. According to Wolfgang Kölfen, a doctor and communication trainer, patient-researched internet information or AI responses should not be dismissed but met with acknowledgment and the doctor's own professional experience.

Trust in the doctor is established from the first encounter, which requires a good investment of time at the beginning. Good communication starts even before the examination and diagnosis, with the first greeting being an important factor. Kölfen believes that the initial small talk should be encouraged to build a rapport with the patient.