The smile is stronger than the handshake
Healthcare providers struggle with the timing of handwashing and the handshake during the visit with patients, we question whether the handshake is even a necessary component of the modern introduction. The Physician-Patient relationship is strongest when built on trust, and typically begins with a...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
F1000 Research Ltd
2020-04-01
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| Series: | MedEdPublish |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mededpublish.org/Manuscripts/2914 |
| Summary: | Healthcare providers struggle with the timing of handwashing and the handshake during the visit with patients, we question whether the handshake is even a necessary component of the modern introduction. The Physician-Patient relationship is strongest when built on trust, and typically begins with a traditional handshake. The importance of hand hygiene has become an integral part of the patient encounter. Taking a break for hand-hygiene interrupts the natural flow of the initial introduction and non-verbal body language to our patients. In current time constrained visits, we focus on handwashing instead of on continuous eye-contact with our patient. It is arguable that the elimination of the handshake may allow one to focus on more culturally acceptable universal verbal and non-verbal communication skills that help us to build essential trust with our patients. |
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| ISSN: | 2312-7996 |