Although ‘one should not hide anything from a doctor or a lawyer’, the reality is far behind. Patients do feel uncomfortable divulging certain information. Even though most physicians ask the attendants to leave the patient for a while for one to one discussion, some patients are unable to move out of the comfortable zone.
Since noting the patient history is often necessary for diagnosis, times come when a clinician has no other way, but to ask an uncomfortable question to the patient. This is especially true if the reply from the patient makes the pivotal point in diagnosis. What is your strategy to ask an uncomfortable question to your patient to ensure a reply?
