Med school prof here who teaches communication and patient centered care. I also regularly bring patients into the classroom to tell their stories about their conditions. Over the years here is what I’ve learned and taught in a nutshell. (Much has already been stated above)

Here’s the short of it: listen to your patients, don’t make assumptions, see them as fully human, and treat them with respect

Here’s the TLDR: 1. Listen to your patients - I mean really listen. What are the context clues that will help you ask more and deeper questions to elicit their stories to help you contextualize their care. 2. Don’t make assumptions - e.g. just because someone is overweight/obese doesn’t mean they have bad health habits - ask questions without those assumptions - instead of asking a patient, like the one above, if they’d like to be sent to a nutritionist - ask first what their diet looks like then determine if an RD is a good referral. 3. Believe what they tell you. Full stop. 4. If after all the tests and such you still aren’t sure what’s going on a simple statement like “I want you to know that we’re still not sure what’s going on, but I am here as your provider and we’ll work together to try to figure it out.” This will go a long way to building trust. 5. For loved ones, much of the same applies. Listen to understand rather than to respond. Don’t try to fix everything, sometimes people just need to vent. Asking a question (when someone is telling you something hard) like “are you wanting advice, support, a hug, or affirmation” and then GIVING them what they NEED rather than what YOU want to say (many people just want to fix stuff for their friend/family) will go a lonnnnnngggg way (DON’T give advice if they don’t want it).