Survey finds interns lacking in patient etiquette

Physicians-in-training are unlikely to engage in common courtesy behaviors such as introducing themselves fully to patients or sitting down to talk to them one-on-one, according to recent research from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Researchers monitored 29 internal medicine interns at Hopkins and the University of Maryland Medical Center for a three-week period in January 2012. They analyzed more than 700 inpatient encounters during 118 intern work shifts and noted whether the interns observed the five-step process known as etiquette-based communication: introducing themselves, explaining their role in a patient’s care, making physical contact with the patient, asking open-ended questions like "How are you feeling?" and sitting down with the patient.

During these encounters, interns asked open-ended questions 75% of the time and touched patients in 65% of visits. However, interns only introduced themselves in 40% of visits, only explained their role in care in 37% of the visits and only sat down 9% of the time. Moreover, interns engaged in all five steps in only 4% of encounters.