Documenting clinical history and entering patient data are such an integral part of what healthcare practitioners do every day. It is easy to focus on the tech and lose our connection with patients.
Healthcare practitioners who work with diagnostic equipment often find it challenging to juggle the tech and patient care. I find that during a stereotactic breast biopsy, where a patient is compressed in the mammogram machine, it is a juggle to provide patient care and reassurance, while also checking equipment and taking images. You can sound distracted, and patients pick up on that.
I have adjusted my practice to shift from multitasking (which makes patients feel like a distraction) to integrated tasking (where data entry or diagnostic imaging procedures become part of the conversation).
Here are specific, actionable phrases and techniques to maintain communication while you type:
1. The “Narrate Your Actions” Technique
Silence is what makes patients anxious. If you are quietly typing or clicking, they assume you are ignoring them. Instead, become a sportscaster of your own actions.
What to say: “I’m just going to type a few notes about what you just told me regarding the chest pain. I want to make sure I get the details right. Please, continue.”
Why it works: It reassures them that you are listening, and that the typing is in service of their story, not a distraction from it.
2. The “Pivot and Permission” Manoeuvre
Don’t abruptly turn away from the patient to face the screen. Do it deliberately and ask for permission, which keeps them in control.
The Move: Maintain eye contact, ask a question, and as they start to answer, physically pivot your chair slightly toward the computer while keeping your head turned toward them.
What to say: “Hold that thought for one second, I want to pull up your last results so we can look at them together.” (Then turn to the screen, find it, and immediately turn back to share).
Why it works: It frames computer use as a tool to answer their question, not a chore you have to do.
3. The “Teach Back” Loop (Active Listening Proof)
Patients often worry you aren’t listening because your eyes are on the screen. Prove that you are by summarizing what they say immediately after they say it, even as you type.
The Technique: As they describe symptoms, type keywords. Then, paraphrase it back to them.
What to say: “Okay, so just to make sure I have this right: you said the dizziness started about three days ago, it gets worse when you stand up quickly, but it goes away after a few minutes. Is that correct?”
Why it works: It proves your brain was processing their words even if your eyes were on the monitor. It also improves clinical accuracy.
4. The “Shared Screen” Invitation
If your setup allows (e.g., a rolling workstation or a swivel monitor), physically move the screen so the patient can see it.
What to say: “Here, let me show you what I’m looking at. This is your medication list. I’m checking to see if there are any interactions with the new prescription I’m thinking of.”
Why it works: It makes the patient a partner in the charting. They become interested in what you are doing rather than feeling excluded by it.
5. Verbal Punctuation (Acknowledgment Tokens)
When your eyes are glued to the screen looking for a specific data point (like a lab result), you might go silent. The patient will sit there awkwardly waiting.
The Technique: As you search the screen, use small verbal cues to show you are still with them.
What to say: “Mmhmm.” / “Okay, I’m just looking for that potassium level…” / “Ah, there it is.” / “Sorry about that, thanks for waiting. Okay, you were saying about the swelling?”
Why it works: It fills the silence and acknowledges their presence, turning a “dead air” gap into a “collaborative pause
6. The “Charting Break” (Silencing the Interruption)
Sometimes you will be in the middle of a sensitive or emotional story when you realize you need to write something down.
What to say: “This is really important what you’re telling me. I’m going to stop typing for a moment so I can give you my full attention.”
The Move: Take your hands off the keyboard, turn fully toward them, and listen. Once the emotional peak has passed, you can say, “Okay, I want to make sure I capture that correctly in your chart,” and then type it up.
Why it works: It honours the gravity of the moment. It shows that the human connection takes priority over the data entry.
Summary Checklist for the Visit:
- Start: Hands off keys. Eye contact. “What brings you in today?” (Listen for 20-30 seconds).
- Transition: “I want to make sure I get this down accurately.” (Hands on keys, begin narrating).
- Middle: “Let me pull up that X-ray so we can look.” (Use screen together).
- Sensitive Moment: “Hold on, I want to hear this.” (Hands off keys, lean in).
- End: “I’m just finishing up my notes here, so I don’t forget anything.” (Close the loop).
By using these phrases, you signal to the patient that they are the driver of the conversation, and the computer is just the passenger taking notes.
I hope these tips have been helpful to you and you can use them to improve your clinical practice and patient care 🙂
Fathima