Ernest Wang

You can't really have a frank conversation about end-of-life care with a patient or their family if you don't know about who they are and what their values are. In the emergency department, where you don't have the luxury of prior visits and when time is often critical, one of the best open-ended questions to get at this is: "Tell me about your life." And then listen with understanding. You'll always gain insight and often get your answer.

Easy to say. Often hard to do. Especially when we're in a hurry. Patients can sense that from the moment you walk in the door. Active listening is mostly a non-verbal skill that can be practiced. 1. Smile 2. SIT down and keep your movements slow and relaxed 3. Introduce yourself and get to know everyone in the room - best ice breaker when a patient is there with a spouse is, "How long have you been married?" 4. Eye contact and focus on the person 5. Understanding nods show you're listening 6. Let everyone verbalize their concerns 7. Summarize what you heard the person say