Listening For What Matters

"Our fascination with the topic of contextualizing care began about twenty years ago when the evidence-based medicine movement had taken hold. We noticed that although medical residents were skilled at identifying the latest studies and guidelines, their care plans often didn't seem appropriate once one considered the life challenges some of their patients were facing. We'd see, for instance, a patient with poorly controlled asthma put on a higher dose of a medication they weren't taking, rather than a cheaper generic, when the context was that they couldn't afford it. We coined the terms "contextual error" to describe these kinds of mistakes and "contextualized care" when patients' care plans are adapted to their life circumstances"--

Effective health care requires physicians tailor care to patients' individual life contexts, including their financial situation, social support, competing responsibilities, and cognitive abilities. Physicians, however, are poorly prepared to consider patients' lives when planning their care. The result is measurably harmful to individuals and costly to society. Listening for What Matters: Avoiding Contextual Errors in Health Care covers ten years of empirical research based on hundreds of recorded doctor visits by patients and undercover actors alike, which revealed a widespread disregard of patients' individual circumstances and needs resulting in inappropriate care. These medical errors have been largely undocumented and unaddressed by the American healthcare system. This book tells the stories of patients whose care was compromised by inattention to individual context, and introduces novel methods for assessing the magnitude of the problem. It describes how these errors, termed "contextual errors," can be minimized through changes in how doctors are trained, how medicine is practiced and quality measured, and in the ways patients assert their needs during visits. The aim of this book is to open a dialog between patients, physicians, policy makers, and medical educators, about a serious quality problem that has been overlooked and understudied.

When was the last time you listened to someone, or someone really listened to you? "If you’re like most people, you don’t listen as often or as well as you’d like. There’s no one better qualified than a talented journalist to introduce you to the right mindset and skillset—and this book does it with science and humor." -Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take **Hand picked by Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink for Next Big Ideas Club** "An essential book for our times." -Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone At work, we’re taught to lead the conversation. On social media, we shape our personal narratives. At parties, we talk over one another. So do our politicians. We’re not listening. And no one is listening to us. Despite living in a world where technology allows constant digital communication and opportunities to connect, it seems no one is really listening or even knows how. And it’s making us lonelier, more isolated, and less tolerant than ever before. A listener by trade, New York Times contributor Kate Murphy wanted to know how we got here. In this always illuminating and often humorous deep dive, Murphy explains why we’re not listening, what it’s doing to us, and how we can reverse the trend. She makes accessible the psychology, neuroscience, and sociology of listening while also introducing us to some of the best listeners out there (including a CIA agent, focus group moderator, bartender, radio producer, and top furniture salesman). Equal parts cultural observation, scientific exploration, and rousing call to action that's full of practical advice, You're Not Listening is to listening what Susan Cain's Quiet was to introversion. It’s time to stop talking and start listening.

Foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales Preface by Michael Palin Listening helps us be there for others, to support them in tough times, and to strengthen our relationships with partners, family, friends and colleagues. From opening up a conversation with someone who might be struggling, to how to use gentle encouragement to help others share their stories, How to Listen demonstrates the power of listening without judgement and draws on the extensive experience of Samaritans in offering practical advice to apply to your own life. Friendly and approachable, with a preface by Michael Palin, it includes helpful tips from trained Samaritans on how to talk about how we are feeling, as well as how to listen to one another in a way that can prevent day-to-day concern or worry from escalating into more complex emotions.

An invaluable guide to becoming a competent and compassionate physician. Medical students and physicians-in-training embark on a long journey that, although steeped in scientific learning and technical skill building, includes little guidance on the emotional and interpersonal dimensions of becoming a healer. Written for anyone in the health care community who hopes to grow emotionally and cognitively in the way they interact with patients, On Becoming a Healer explains how to foster doctor-patient relationships that are mutually nourishing. Dr. Saul J. Weiner, a physician-educator, argues that joy in medicine requires more than idealistic aspirations—it demands a capacity to see past the "otherness" that separates the well from the sick, the professional in a white coat from the disheveled patient in a hospital gown. Weiner scrutinizes the medical school indoctrination process and explains how it molds the physician's mindset into that of a task completer rather than a thoughtful professional. Taking a personal approach, Weiner describes his own journey to becoming an internist and pediatrician while offering concrete advice on how to take stock of your current development as a physician, how to openly and fully engage with patients, and how to establish clear boundaries that help defuse emotionally charged situations. Readers will learn how to counter judgmentalism, how to make medical decisions that take into account the whole patient, and how to incorporate the organizing principle of healing into their practice. Each chapter ends with questions for reflection and discussion to help personalize the lessons for individual learners.

‘Powerful, humane and wise’ JULIA SAMUEL ‘Everyone should read it’ NIGELLA LAWSON ‘Beautiful ... This is a book for everyone. You feel held by it’ PHILIPPA PERRY Most of us have a conversation we’re avoiding.

For more than sixteen years, Jeffrey Hollender has presided over Seventh Generation, a world leader in manufacturing environmentally friendly, nontoxic household products. What Matters Most illuminates the successful practices of Seventh Generation-and many other pioneering companies around the world-to demonstrate the pragmatic aspects of a corporate strategy that hardwires social and environmental concerns into the company's culture, operating systems, and business relationships. It shows business leaders how to assess their own company's performance, adopt a socially responsible approach to doing business, and embark on a path of long-term growth. "Jeffrey Hollender . . . has shown that doing the right thing does pay off both in terms of building a brand that generates great customer loyalty and a business that has consistently generated superior growth." -- Ben Cohen, Founder, Ben & Jerry's "What Matters Most stands out for its moderate and thoughtful analysis of a controversial issue . . . Hollender is a voice of reason in today's important debate on corporate responsibility." -- Soundview Speed Reviews

An inquiry into dissent and how it might save the world.