Ways to listen

Listening is an active, not passive, process. It is a therapeutic technique that creates trust between patient and provider and requires real commitment on behalf of the pharmacist. Here is some guidance:

• Do not interrupt We may get impatient or have decided the outcome already, so we blurt out what we are thinking in the middle of a patient’s sentence. However, you must not interrupt. Let the patient finish or you will miss vital information. This can be difficult, but our goal should be to concentrate on what a patient is saying and use that mental free time to summarise for ourselves what they are actually saying
• Look at the patient It is amazing how often we attempt to listen but then do not look at the patient directly, or we allow our eyes to move to other things happening in the room. Make sure that you look directly at a patient while they are speaking
• Switch off your internal dialogue Switching off other thoughts that do not have any relevance to the patient at that time is a must for an effective consultation
• Listen from the first sentence It is important to demonstrate that you are listening right from the off. If you appear preoccupied, your patient will know this and will feel unimportant. Either defer or delegate other work that is occupying the time you need to listen properly
• You don’t have to agree You may not agree with a patient’s statements, attitude, behaviour and/or management of their symptoms, but you must enter into their view of the world. Having an open mind is critical
• Do not guess their meaning Analyse what the patient says, rather than jumping to your own conclusions
• Pause Once the patient stops talking, pause for a moment. This allows the patient to recognise that you are listening. They may feel able to impart more information if they feel comfortable to do so
• Avoid the use of ‘but’ and ‘however’ This will negate what has gone before. In place of ‘however’, try a different approach. For example: “I understand what you are saying regarding your medication. I would suggest you follow the instructions because…”. Replace ‘but’ with ‘and’ as a less negative approach: ‘And decide if you want to try to quit smoking’
• Avoid outside distractions The ability to block out
  interruptions and distractions is key. Make sure the pharmacy has procedures in place to reduce the likelihood of employees interrupting consultations
• Body language An open posture encourages the other person to speak. Lean forward and gesture appropriately as the patient speaks
• Acknowledgement Something as simple as a nod of the head indicates that you are listening and encourages the person to continue with what they
  are saying.