Stop talking over patients!

Today, at the hospital, I saw a porter pushing a patient in a wheelchair. She stopped to talk to an acquaintance as they passed in the hallway. Their conversation was loud and of a personal nature.

As they talked, the man in the wheelchair fidgeted, obviously uncomfortable with being ignored. It made me think of a recent article "Talking over patients: sTOP" in CMAJ's Salon.

sTOP is a different take on the "loose lips" problem in hospitals (and healthcare, in general).

Ken Flegel goes beyond pointing out how rude it is to subject patients to our personal conversations, and tells us it's unethical.

"TOP Talk is an unprofessional behaviour not because the topic of conversation is bad, but because the circumstance is an unacceptable time and place for it."

Even if you think that's a little over the top (I don't!), you have to admit that "TOP talk" happens regularly in healthcare settings.

I mentioned the porters in my example, but physicians and nurses are as guilty of this. I don't think Flegel is telling us that we can't have personal conversations at work, but when with our patients, to treat them as special guests.

Like we would want to be treated, if in their shoes.

Or wheelchair.