Seminars For Medical Practitioners

Seminar I: The Hidden Impacts of Patient-Practitioner Interactions During Reproductive Health Exams and Procedures

Description

This seminar is designed to increase practitioners’ awareness of the impacts of their physical and interpersonal interactions with women during reproductive health exams, tests and procedures.  Specific issues and impacts that may arise in patient-practitioner interactions during reproductive endocrinology treatment for infertility are also addressed.

Health care practitioners and patients participate in verbal and nonverbal interactions, including direct physical contact, through which they co-create their relationship.

This seminar will focus on the factors that may be influencing how patients and practitioners interact with each other.  It is also designed to enhance practitioners’ awareness of the beneficial effects of increased compassion in treatment interactions on both patients and themselves. An understanding of these factors makes it possible for practitioners to make adjustments in the way they interact verbally and non-verbally with patients which may:

  • Increase patients’ positive perceptions of the quality of care they receive; and

  • Enhance treatment outcomes.

Educational Objectives

In this seminar participants will have the opportunity to learn:

  • How verbal and nonverbal communication in patient-practitioner interactions affects patients and practitioners, including their psychophysiology, which may influence how care is provided by practitioners and received by patients

  • The importance for practitioners of gaining awareness of their own psychophysiological states before and during their interactions with patients

  • Simple tools practitioners can use to calm and balance themselves before, during, between and after interactions with patients

  • How practitioners can use these tools with their patients to reduce their stress during treatment exams, tests and procedures and support positive treatment outcomes.

Seminar II: Recognizing Traumatic Stress Symptoms and Their Impact on Patients During Treatment Interactions: Sensitive Approaches to Practice

Description

This seminar is designed to help practitioners recognize the observable behavioral symptoms of stress and traumatic stress in patients during treatment interactions. For those who have had past or recent experiences of trauma, medical exams and procedures can be very difficult. It addresses the particular challenges faced by these women during reproductive health exams and procedures.

The seminar is also designed to provide practitioners with suggestions on how they can adapt the care they provide to be sensitive to the unique needs of patients who exhibit these behaviors.  Sensitive practice that respects the needs of patients who have traumatic stress symptoms can enhance the quality of care and treatment outcomes they experience.

In addition, the seminar will include a discussion of a variety of techniques patients can learn to use, that are designed to reduce traumatic stress symptoms and help patients cope during physical and interpersonal treatment interactions, medical exams, tests and procedures.

Educational Objectives

In this seminar participants will have the opportunity to learn:

  • Patient behaviors indicative of traumatic stress and past or recent experiences of trauma

  • The specific aspects of patient-practitioner interactions that can be challenging for trauma survivors, particularly those who have experienced interpersonal trauma

  • The specific aspects of patient-practitioner interactions in reproductive health treatment that can be challenging for survivors of sexual abuse or assault

  • Suggestions for sensitive practice and adaptations in the way care is provided that make it possible to reduce the activation of, or exacerbation of stress symptoms during, and after patient-practitioner treatment interactions.