Listening is Powerful Medicine

        Active listening is used in a wide variety of everyday situations. It is often used in community organizing, tutoring, between doctors and patients, helping special needs patients, management, counseling and many more. This type of listening may also be used in casual conversation or small talk to build understanding. The proper use of active listening results in getting people to open up, avoiding misunderstandings, resolving conflict, and building trust. A prime example would be in a medical context. Benefits from this may include increased patient satisfaction, improved cross-cultural communication, as well as an increase in patient outcomes.

       The picture above shows important aspects in listening and what it means. Active listening is a communication technique that requires the listener to give undivided attention and efficient feedback.  The listener does this by repeating or paraphrasing what the speaker has just said in their own words to ensure comprehension of both parties. This minimizes the chances of misunderstandings. Not everyone can do this, meaning not everyone you talk to is a good listener.

      From a medical stand point, it's hard to ensure every medical personnel is a good listener. With years of schooling and medical courses, it's nice to have a doctor who can actually diagnose your symptoms by listening closely to what you have to say. Some doctors are overly concerned, and just by listening to the patient and their family, they are able to help them in whatever way they can. The patient usually has a stronger will to survive and a better sense of their problem or symptoms when the caregiver is willing to listen and understand.

         In conclusion, active listening is the best way to get an understanding of a person's situation. Even when someone is not sick or at the doctors, they may just need someone to listen to what they have to say. Being a good listener is always a helpful trait to have. I feel that much of the time, the people who listen the most are the people who end up being the most helpful in the long run.