Six Strategies to Revive Doctor-Patient Bedside Interactions

Recent findings reveal a growing concern over the deterioration of the doctor-patient bedside encounter, prompting experts to propose six actionable strategies to restore this crucial aspect of healthcare. A collaborative report from Northwestern University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham highlights the need for a renewed focus on bedside medicine to enhance patient outcomes and strengthen the physician-patient relationship.

Over the past two decades, visits to healthcare providers have become notably more rushed. Physicians now often spend less time with patients, resulting in diagnostic errors and increased healthcare costs. The integration of artificial intelligence and advanced technology has contributed to a decline in essential bedside skills among medical trainees, eroding the empathetic connection that is vital in healthcare.

Reinforcing Essential Clinical Skills

The report emphasizes the significance of fundamental clinical skills, particularly the physical examination. Dr. Brian Garibaldi, the corresponding author and inaugural director of Northwestern University’s new Center for Bedside Medicine, notes, “An appropriate physical exam can help avoid the need for additional diagnostic testing, yet research has shown the most commonly reported error in the physical exam is simply that the exam was never performed.”

Garibaldi argues that as technology advances, the primary information derived from patient interactions remains crucial for effective clinical decision-making. He states, “There’s only so much tech can do without the correct inputs from humans—both physicians and patients.” This perspective underscores the necessity of nurturing traditional skills in a technology-driven healthcare landscape.

The report, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, concludes a six-part series focusing on medical education. This dedication to bedside skills reflects a growing recognition of their importance in medical training. Garibaldi, who holds the title of Charles Horace Mayo Professor of medicine, emphasizes, “If we don’t intentionally cultivate them, they’re at risk of being lost.”

Six Steps to Enhance Patient Encounters

The six strategies outlined in the report aim to help clinical educators guide trainees in appreciating the value of bedside encounters. By reinforcing these skills, healthcare professionals can improve diagnostic reasoning, enhance the patient-physician relationship, address healthcare inequities, and mitigate professional burnout.

Dr. Stephen Russell, a physician and professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, asserts, “From an educational standpoint, the best way to learn about patients is to be with them.” He explains that the strategies were designed to encourage physicians to move away from conference rooms and hallways and back to the bedside, where patient interactions take place.

“Medicine is learned by the bedside and not in the classroom. Let not your conceptions of the manifestations of disease come from words heard in the lecture room or read from the book. See, and then reason and compare and control. But see first.” — Sir William Osler

The report serves as a call to action for medical educators and clinicians alike, aiming to foster a renewed commitment to the bedside encounter. By implementing these strategies, healthcare professionals can contribute to improved patient care and a more fulfilling medical practice.

For more information, refer to the report titled “Strategies to Reinvigorate the Bedside Clinical Encounter” published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2025.