Psychiatry rotation in the bag
I am not sure where the past three weeks have disappeared to, but my Psychiatry rotation is done! In this short time, I saw firsthand the importance of good communication. I learnt how to recognise common Psychiatric illnesses and conduct a patient interview on the Psychiatric ward.
Taking a patient history in Psychiatry is a little different from other specialities. When interviewing a Psychiatric patient, a flexible approach should be taken. This is done by asking open-ended questions, allowing the patient to answer freely, and letting the patient's answers lead the direction of the conversation. There are, of course, standard questions you want to ask, like, why did you come to the hospital, do you currently have any thoughts of suicide, have you had any thoughts of suicide in the past, did you act on them, etc. Sometimes, in the case of cognitively impaired patients or in patients who are concealing information, it can be necessary to interview family or friends as well. When patient history is taken from other sources, this is known as heteroanamnesis. It can play a huge role in verifying facts and reporting any behavioural changes before the hospital admission.
This rotation has taught me that to effectively communicate with Psychiatric patients, a strong doctor-patient relationship is needed. Psychiatrists must get to know their patients really well. Without a good rapport, it is extremely difficult to take a patient's history and gather all the necessary information to accurately treat their symptoms.
The most challenging part of being a Psychiatrist is helping suicidal patients.
The last day of my practice started like every other - with a seminar about the patient we interviewed yesterday. We met at the library of the Psychiatry Clinic, and discussed the case with the Professor. At the end, the Professor signed my Certificate of Completion and my Clinical Skills booklet.
With my Psychiatry rotation in the bag, this means I only have two more rotations (in Neurology and Family Medicine) and my exams to complete before the Final Closing Exam and graduation.
Next week I won't start a new rotation; instead, I have given myself the week off to prepare and take an exam. But I'll share more with you about that on Monday.
That’s awesome! As someone commenting from the other side of evaluations. It’s nice to see the right approach to talking a patient is being studied. Often times people that need the help have a hard time accepting their own frustrations let along speaking to someone else about it. So the right approach first hand can make or break the entire process. Wish you the best of luck on the weeks to come!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree, learning how to properly communicate with all patients is necessary. I am happy to say that this was taken into account at my medical school and that prior to my clinical years I was required to complete a course called Medical Communication Skills. Of course, we can all learn the theory, but putting it into practice is whats hard and this rotation allowed me to do that.
DeleteIn all specialities of medicine, patients should trust their doctors, but in Psychiatry, it is especially vital, because this trust is the foundation upon which the doctors build when interviewing a patient. Sometimes patients struggle to cope with their symptoms and speak about what's happening to them. Talking with the wrong person can really set a person back on their road to recovery. We can help our patients by listening, getting to know them, and making them comfortable enough to openly express how they feel without judgment.
Thank you!