Resources for Healthcare Providers

1. Collaborate with patients to identify what matters to them and break it down into small, achievable steps.

“I respect patient goals. I think they're often very differently framed than our goals on their behalf. Certainly, when a patient has a goal, it's a macro level and our job is to really break that down into the component pieces. Of in this case, what would? What would this gentleman need from us in order to get to his goal?” 

PM&R Physician

2. Understand patients’ and families’ daily activities, abilities, and life circumstances. 

“And in that, I think a more function needs based approach to concussion care, which brings all that compassion, is also a right place to do equity oriented care... if you're not asking about people's lives, what they do, how they function, what they think, you're kind of missing all of the things that you would find out about to make a recommendation that fits their life circumstance.”

Occupational Therapist

3. Actively listen to fully understand patients’ and families’ concerns. 

“I think active listening includes reflecting back on what has been said to you as kind of a starting point. And making sure that you're more like, I guess there's that the term that I haven't fully grasped, which is that allyship term. But trying to reserve judgment early and making sure that you understand more of the picture before you're offering anything.”

Family Physician

4. Support patients through challenging moments and guide them towards realistic expectations.

“And then it really builds your interview skills around shifting their thinking, not slamming their thinking with a brick but shifting it. And maybe it's a gradual shift. And all the while saying, how can I support you to move in a different direction?”

PM&R Physician

5. Set personal boundaries and manage emotions.

“I'll feel that anger or frustration directed at myself. And I think as a clinician we experience that as like that kind of transferring of emotion. And then there's a bit of the innate desire to counter transfer it back. Right. It's like you have to deal with this load of feelings and emotions... So, there's almost like they have, over time, needed to take a step back so that I can see that and then continue to walk along them with the idea of supporting them along.”

Family Physician