Don’t be afraid to politely correct your colleagues if they make a mistake or make insensitive comments.
How to ask awkward-feeling questions and build rapport.
- Practice cultural humility. Recognize that your social experiences and identities may not correlate to those of your patients. Meeting patients “where they are” without judgement or editorializing will enhance your rapport and quality of care.
- Listen to, understand, and mirror the terms that patients use to describe their gender, body parts, and sexual history.
- Avoid asking unnecessary questions. Ask yourself: Is my question necessary for their care or am I asking it for my own curiosity? If for your own curiosity, it is not appropriate to ask. Think instead about: What do I know? What do I need to know?
How can I ask for the information I need to know in a sensitive way?