Interviewing patients requires planning. As you begin, consider several steps that are crucial to success.

Reviewing the Clinical Record.

Before seeing the patient, review the clinical record. This provides important background information and suggests areas you need to explore. Review identifying data such as age, gender, address, and insurance. Look at the problem list and the patient's medications and allergies. Even though the clinical record usually contains past diagnoses and treatments, you need to make your own assessment based on what you learn from the visit ahead. The clinical record is compiled from many observers. Data may be incomplete or even disagree with what the patient tells you. Correcting discrepancies in the record is important for the patient's care.

Setting Goals for the Interview.

Before you talk with the patient, clarify your goals for the interview. As a student, your primary purpose may be to complete a comprehensive history required for your rotation. As a practicing clinician, your goals can range from assessing a new concern, to treatment follow-up, to completing forms. The clinician must balance these provider-centered goals with patient-centered goals, weighing multiple agendas arising from the needs of the patient, the patient's family, and health care agencies and facilities. Taking a few minutes to think about your goals makes it easier to align your priorities with the patient's agenda.

Reviewing Your Clinical Behavior and Appearance.

Just as you carefully observe the patient, the patient will be watching you. Consciously or not, you send messages through both your words and your behavior. Posture, gestures, eye contact, and tone of voice all convey the extent of your interest, attention, acceptance, and understanding. The skilled interviewer seems calm and unhurried, even when time is limited. Patients sense when you are preoccupied. It is important to learn to focus and give the patient your full attention. Patients are also sensitive to any implied disapproval, embarrassment, impatience, or boredom and to behaviors that condescend, stereotype, criticize, or belittle. Professionalism requires equanimity and "unconditional positive regard" to nurture healing relationships. Your appearance is also important. Patients find cleanliness, neatness, conservative dress, and a name tag reassuring. Remember to keep the patient's perspective in mind if you want to build the patient's trust.

Adjusting the Environment.

Make the interview setting as private and comfortable as possible. You may have to talk with the patient in surroundings like a two-bed room or the corridor of a busy emergency department. Making the environment as confidential as possible improves communication. If there are privacy curtains, try to pull them shut. Suggest moving to an empty room instead of talking in a waiting area. Adjust the room temperature for the patient's comfort. As the clinician, it is part of your role to make the patient more comfortable. These efforts are always worth the time.

责任编辑：admin