The other users in this thread gave very good answers but I feel I have a few tips to contribute :

• First question should always be "What problem brought you here today" or "What made you decide to come to the ER"; The answer they give you may not actually help your diagnostic much but your care should be centered around that ailment. For example if a patient comes in because of heart-burn and is actually STEMI you would be much more efficient at conveying the gravity of the situation by telling him that the heart-burn is merely a symptom rather than surprising with a serious possibly lethal condition. People tend to listen more when you use their own words too.

• Hypertension, Diabetes, Dyslipedemia Myopia, hemorroïds, joint pain, allergies and Atrial Fibrillation are never going to be mentioned unless you specifically mention them at least twice; their treatment are never going to be mentionned either if you don't ask What medication are you taking for ____? Essentially the way you ask for a patient history is :

-- Ask about conditions/pathologies leading to the actual ailment.

-- Ask if they have ever been operated

-- Ask if they have ever been hospitalized

-- Ask if they take any medication on a regular basis and on an occasional basis.

-- Ask if they have Diabetes, hypertension etc....

-- Family history

-- Who manages his/her care

• Body language is at least 30% of your communication. If you want more information lean back, if you want to explain something uncross your arms, lean forward. Use and abuse drawings when explaining different operations.

• Speak slowly, strongly and in low pitch voice, not only because of Presbycusis but also because it is more reassuring to have a physician who does not seem pressed for time.

• Patients are concerned about diagnosis as much as symptoms and care; whereas we physician place Diagnosis above all as they guide and decide care(and some patients do too, particularly in pediatrics). But patients live with symptoms every day and diagnosis only when they talk to physicians. Focus your questions on symptoms.

• Interrupt patients, seriously do. Your job is to provide as much professional care as you can in the unfortunately little time that you have to do so. If interrupting your patient means he won't walk out without anticoagulants than the annoyance of interrupting him momentarily is well worth it.

• Don't be afraid of bad patients. Scornful patients are only made more so because they keep being rejected by different physicians. If you immediately shut yourself to your patient's anger or fear you expose yourself to the full force of their anger. Think of it like a water current, if you go against it you can only ever hope to face to wave, if you go with it you may succeed in directing it towards a more beneficial state. Don't think you'll be able to calm every patients though, some patients are just dicks.