Real-Life Communication
You are a reproductive endocrinologist. In your private practice,
you are often required to explain complex situations to your patients. Sometimes
this can be very sensitive information. You are discussing reproductive organs
and genitalia. Some people are uncomfortable with this topic.
Nevertheless,
it is vitally important that you do whatever you need to do to help your patients
understand what is being said. Often, you must spend an hour or even two hours
with patients explaining the things they need to understand.
Now you
have a new patient. A woman and her husband have come from Turkey to consult
with you, because they have heard about you from a doctor in their own country.
They very much want to have a baby, but they have not been able to succeed.
After
running some medical tests, you have decided upon some procedures that you
would like to perform. However, you must explain everything to this couple
very thoroughly so they will totally understand the implications.
As
in all medical procedures, there are risks. The woman and her husband must
fully understand what those risks are. This is called "informed consent."
The
couple does not speak English.
What do you do to make sure they understand?