Communication Rx: Transforming Healthcare Through Relationship-Centered Communication

CHAPTER 1

Building the Case for Communication and Relationships

I (Calvin Chou) paused and shook my head as I previewed the chart of my new patient, Mr. Johnson. He was an Army vet and former line cook in his early 60s and had been on disability for many years for chronic lower back pain. He was treated with high-dose opiates until his urine tests turned positive for cocaine a year ago. His primary care physician at the time referred him to a pain management clinic, and opiates were quickly tapered. Mr. Johnson wasn’t happy about this. He had transferred to two different clinicians in the past year. I know and trust both of them, and I could see they’d had a rough time. Both had refused to give Mr. Johnson more opiates. Both had documented similar ...