Is 'Doctor-Patient Communication' an Oxymoron?

IS ‘DOCTOR-PATIENT COMMUNICATION’ AN OXYMORON?

PHYSICIAN, PATIENT ADVOCATE DR. TERRIE WURZBACHER EXPOSES THE DOCTOR-PATIENT COMMUNICATION GAP IN FORTHCOMING BOOK

SAN ANTONIO, TX (January 2007)– According to statistics, the average length of a doctor’s visit is only 15 to 20 minutes.  With such a short period of time to discuss something as important as health, it is imperative that doctors and patients are able to communicate efficiently and clearly. But is that really what’s happening?  No way, says Dr. Terrie Wurzbacher, a physician for over 30 years: “The phrase ‘doctor-patient communication’ is an oxymoron.  It is past time to address one of the biggest problems in healthcare today – the abject lack of communication between doctors and patients.” To expose the doctor-patient communication gap and provide help for patients and doctors everywhere, Dr. Wurzbacher has authored Your Doctor Said What? Exposing the Communication Gap.

In Your Doctor Said What (LifeSuccess Publishing, March 2007), Dr. Wurzbacher presents a controversial look at how physicians practice medicine and attempt communication.  A physician herself, Dr. Wurzbacher prides herself on trying to understand her patients, but notes that this is something that did not come naturally or easily:  “I recognized that I wasn’t a good communicator early in my career.  The Emergency Department is one of many places where being good at communication is crucial since you have no records to work with and a short amount of time to glean information and make a diagnosis. I had to learn how to communicate with my patients and how to really listen to them.”

In Your Doctor Said What, Dr. Wurzbacher addresses such issues as: why there are problems with communication between doctors and patients, why doctors act as they do, how to be prepared for your doctor’s visit, how to make the most of your time at the doctor’s office, how to be persistent with your doctor to get answers, and more. Moreover, Dr. Wurzbacher unveils findings from her informal study of patients, which reveals that most patients feel rushed through the system, judged – or even worse, criticized – by their doctors. 

While Dr. Wurzbacher points out that she is dealing with a serious issue, she deliberately crafted the book to include humorous stories and anecdotes, and wrote the book in a lighthearted, conversational fashion. According to Dr. Wurzbacher, “It has been said that laughter is the best medicine. My belief is that laughter, combined with sound advice and explanation, is an especially powerful remedy.”

Dr. Wurzbacher says her hope for the book is two-fold: “First, I hope to empower everyone who’s a patient. Stand up for yourself and get the answers you need. Second, I want medical students and physicians to take a hard look at what is really important.”

Dr. Terrie Wurzbacher has been a physician for over 30 years.  She lives in San Antonio, Texas.  Your Doctor Said What? Exposing the Communication Gap will be available in better bookstores nationwide and online in late March 2007. For more information, please contact Maryglenn McCombs by phone – (615) 297-9875, or by email – maryglenn@maryglenn.com

Contact: Maryglenn McCombs

                (615) 297-9875  maryglenn@maryglenn.com