Five Trauma-Informed Communication Strategies to Improve Patient Interactions

Primary care is a demanding field, requiring a high cognitive load due to complex patient histories, broad differential diagnoses, multiple treatment options, expanding medication lists, and a variety of team members. Physicians are tasked with managing all of these variables while also communicating well with patients to create a detailed picture of their health.

However, research has consistently found gaps in patient comprehension of even basic components of their visits,¹ and patients often express that their physician does not fully understand their concerns or undervalues their perspective.² Overcoming these barriers is crucial, as improved communication enhances not only the exchange of information but also the therapeutic relationship.^3,4

Effective communication often requires a trauma-informed mindset, given that roughly half of primary care patients have undergone some form of trauma.⁵ This means approaching each patient with empathy and curiosity about “What happened to you?” rather than “What is wrong with you?”

This article presents five communication strategies that can help create psychological safety, build trust, and facilitate better patient interactions, particularly with individuals who have experienced trauma.

When patients enter the examination room, they bring with them their own unique background, including race, gender, profession, spirituality, fears, biases about the health care system, lived experiences, and their community's opinions. The simple practice of imagining yourself as the patient, looking at the situation through the patient's eyes, can increase patient satisfaction⁶ and help combat bias.⁷ It can also benefit physicians, protecting against burnout by reducing clinical monotony, increasing pro-social helping behaviors, and supporting their emotional balance.⁸

To use perspective-taking in a patient encounter, take a moment before you step into the exam room and imagine that you are the patient. Consider their potential experiences, biases, fears, and hopes. Perhaps they are feeling skeptical, tired, in pain, or overwhelmed while having to interact with a physician they may perceive as intimidating, naive, dismissive, or even adversarial. Enter with a sense of curiosity and flexibility, and invite the patient to help you understand their perspective.