Reassurance for Patients—Essential Not Optional

Abstract

Appropriate patient reassurance is an essential feature of clinical practice. My recent experience as a patient, interpreted via my expertise as a health services researcher, led me to insights on ideal and suboptimal reassurance styles in the context of worrisome symptoms. Reassurance is complex: often poorly defined in the scientific literature, rarely rigorously studied, imperfectly understood, and requiring some adaptation to each patient situation. The type and timing of reassurance, balance with additional testing and referrals, paradoxical effects, and myriad patient factors influence reassurance needs and efficacy. My three health problems, occurring in close succession, required numerous consultations, tests, and procedures extending over months. Explicit medically appropriate reassurance notably reduced my concerns and anxiety. Interactions devoid of key reassurance components (acknowledging concerns, contextualising the problem, providing information on risk and next steps and incorporating discussion) exacted an unnecessary psychic toll. The striking differences among my clinicians' approaches illustrate how more thoughtful and salubrious interactions can occur using straightforward existing guidance on best reassurance practices, even without burdensome training, time, or resources.