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The BLUF

Antigone Vesci
Sep 1
1 min read

BLUF: Bottom Line Up Front.


After your objective exam, lead with what the patient actually wants to know: can you help them or not. It sounds something like, "Based on what I'm seeing, I can help you"  or "I think I can help you, and here's how we'll know if it's working" or honestly, "I'm not the right person for this, but I know who is."


Patients aren't sitting across from you waiting to learn about their anatomy. They're waiting to find out if you're their solution or another experiment. They want to know if they'll get better, how long it will take, and what the time, money, and energy commitment looks like to get there. Those are the questions running through their head while you're explaining their MRI.


Answer those first.


We get so excited to share what we found that we forget what they came in hoping to hear. The clinical details matter, but they land better once the patient knows what to expect from you. 

 
 
 

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