Physicians have a difficult task when they have to explain the medical status of patient in critical condition.  The family generally wants to know what is wrong and how long it will take for the patient to get better.  These are logical questions, and most of us can see how the answers to them can bring comfort to the family members of the patient.  Not all medical situations present themselves with immediate answers.  At times deciding what is wrong is a process of ruling out one possibility after another.  With testing, waiting for results and consultations this is not always a quick process.  I with a physician recently who was trying to explain what was happening to very distraught family members.  I was impressed at by the calmness in her tone of voice.  She was consistent in her answers, even when the family essentially tried to ask the same question in many different ways.

The family eventually was able to calm down partly due to the calmness projected by the physician.  I tried to help the family by reminding them of what the physician said when they were remembering what had been said incorrectly.  As the family received signs of expression and support from those who sent them text messages or called them, they began to calm down.  Providing companionship and a non-anxious presence is exactly what some family’s need as they wait for their medical questions to be answered.  This is truly a team process.