Dr.Laura Patricia Aybar Morera
A patient in the emergency room collapses, the monitor alarms begin to sound. At that moment, the clinician has only seconds to assess the situation, interpret the patient’s vital signs, and initiate life-saving interventions. Under intense pressure, the clinician must rely on training and critical thinking. Public Speaking ensures clear communication of ideas and prompt audience response. Clinical decision-making, on the other hand, entails medical practitioners quickly evaluating patient data in order to identify the most effective course of action. Despite the superficial differences between both situations, both call for the capacity to think under pressure. This article aims to assess how strategies used in public speaking can influence and improve clinical decision-making in high-pressure situations.
For the past 10 years, I’ve been practicing and coaching the art of public speaking while simultaneously diving through the path of Medical School and clinical responsibilities. At the core of both activities I have fostered the ability to think clearly under pressure. This skill encourages prompt organization of information, maintaining composure, adjusting to unanticipated circumstances, and effectively communicating to your audience or patient. These qualities are imperative for the path to becoming a physician and should be considered and implemented by healthcare professionals in order to improve patient outcomes.
The effects of different speaking formats on learning and the development of critical thinking skills in higher education have been studied for decades. A 2015 study by the University of Putra Malaysia proved that debate helps learners develop critical thinking by looking into arguments, getting involved in research, collecting information, conducting analysis, challenging assumptions, evaluating arguments, and illustrating interpersonal skills. It creates an atmosphere in which learners abandon their passive roles and start to be active participants in the learning process. Learners can use these abilities and skills in various situations. Likewise, classroom debate helps develop oral communication abilities, which are essential for accomplishment in nearly all professions. Similarly, in 2014, physicians assisting in Mashhad, Iran, were given oral communication and speaking workshops to improve doctor-patient communications. Following the physician communication training, there was a significant improvement in physicians-patient communication skills, hypertension outcomes, medication adherence, and self-efficacy among the patients managed by the physicians receiving training, compared to the control group.
Beyond communication skills, public speaking fosters other cognitive strengths that are substantial to clinical decision-making, including planning and organization, social cognition and the ability to adapt to unpredictable environments. Skilled speakers are able to quickly arrange their ideas in response to unforeseen questions or interruptions from the audience. This ability is similar to the cognitive process required in clinical settings, when medical professionals must rapidly evaluate patient symptoms, test results, and medical histories in order to choose appropriate interventions.
Ultimately, both occupations require a high level of flexibility. While speakers routinely change their message in response to audience reactions, physicians frequently have to modify treatment plans when new information about a patient’s health becomes available. When combined, these skills show how public speaking can significantly enhance a clinician’s ability to make informed decisions in challenging medical environments.
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