Guideline 7: Including large families
8 out of 11If there are too many family members, ask the patient to nominate a smaller number to be present in the consultation
If unable to accommodate all family members:
- Show respect to the family.
“Hi [patient]. And this must be your family. What a great support network”.
- Apologise for the lack of space in the consultation room.
“I’m sorry, there is just not enough space for everyone in my small consultation room”.
- Consider asking the patient to nominate a smaller number of family members to attend the consultation. 35
“We can fit 2 or 3 family members into the consultation room. [Patient], are you ok to decide who will come in with you?”
- If possible, sensitively ascertain from the patient if there are any reasons behind the large family presence (e.g. cultural norms, close-knit family, family conflict/mistrust).
“[Patient], just so that I better understand the way you and your family work together, are there any reasons why a large number of family members attended today?”
- Offer to audiotape the consultation for the wider family to review at home (if appropriate). 48
“You are welcome to audio-record our discussion today. That way, if you want, your family can listen to our discussion later”.
OVERALL COMPLETION
