One of my favorite things about Twitter is the ability to engage in professional discussions with my peers and mentors. I’ve enjoyed talking about PT issues on Wednesday nights through the #DPTstudent chat and also #solvePT, and also general healthcare issues through #meded and #HCLDR.
Two recent #HCLDR chats I’ve participated in recently have been based off of thought-provoking articles:
1. This NYT blog post is about the importance of not using medical jargon while interacting with patients. During the chat, I noted that in my PT program we are penalized whenever we use medical terminology with our “patients” during practicals. This practice was useful in the clinic, as it reminded me to explain things better to patients and use common terms such as “tailbone” instead of medical terminology such as “sacrum,” for example. It turns out this gesture is very much appreciated by the healthcare community, and I received a lot of praise about it.
2. The other chat was based off of this article by a prominent physician about the care he received after breaking his neck. One of the highlights of the article was when he notes, “The physical and occupational therapists were the best part of the professional staff; they did a very good job of helping me to learn to walk and to exercise muscles weakened by disuse.” However, he does not always receive high-quality care – despite the fact that he is well-known in the facilities where he stays, almost an “undercover boss.” For this reason, my takeaway from the article, which proved to be much-retweeted was: Treat everyone like they’re an “undercover boss.”
I’m learning a lot and getting to know so many inspirational healthcare professionals through these chats, so if you’re on Twitter, be sure to give them a try! And of course, follow me on Twitter so we can chat too.