The term ‘doctor’ comes from Latin for ‘to teach’. In general practice, this can involve teaching patients, medical students, trainees and other health professionals. As part of my medical school rotations, I recently shadowed a doctor who was particularly keen to teach both his patients and medical students. I thought his method of drawing out diagrams for patients was particularly helpful to a patients’ understanding of what was happening in their bodies. However, when drawing on paper, it is necessary to show the patient what is being drawn in the correct orientation. This involves positioning oneself next to the patient, that can potentially make some patients uncomfortable. This can be compounded by the doctor inviting medical student(s) to also learn from the drawings at the same time as the patient, creating an unintentional huddle mid-consultation.
I suggest that doctors who are keen to teach in this way consider investing in a whiteboard. Whiteboards have largely replaced traditional chalk and blackboards. Marker pens are used to write on the smooth surfaces of whiteboards, making them easy to erase. A quick search on a popular shopping website revealed that a 60 × 40 centimetre whiteboard could be bought for as little as £5. An investment in a whiteboard may therefore be a way to reduce paper costs in the long term. They may also be more environmentally-friendly than using paper. Importantly, as they can be placed on a part of the wall visible to all, they can be used to teach students and patients simultaneously without unintentional invasion of personal space.
However, careful thought regarding placement of the whiteboard is necessary to avoid introducing a lecturer–student dimension to the already complicated patient–doctor relationship. This may be the case if the doctor has to stand up to write on the board. I suggest placing the board in such a way that the doctor can write on it while sitting down so they remain on the same level as the patient.
- © British Journal of General Practice 2012
