Why Reintroducing Handshakes Could Strengthen Emergency Care Relationships
An emergency-room physician argues that a simple handshake can help build trust with patients, even amid modern pressures and infection concerns.
During a busy shift, an emergency resident described meeting a woman facing a possible cancer emergency and extending a handshake to her and her relatives, which appeared to calm the room. He points out that many patients still value this traditional greeting, referencing a JAMA Internal Medicine survey in which over three-quarters expressed a preference for handshakes. The article stresses that early rapport is crucial in emergency medicine, where clinicians must quickly address sensitive topics and make life-altering decisions.
Modern workflow pressures, frequent interruptions, and the legacy of pandemic distancing have reduced such personal contact, risking patients feeling overlooked despite correct diagnoses. The author recommends appropriate hand hygiene and cultural sensitivity, suggesting alternative respectful gestures when a handshake is unsuitable, to preserve the human element in increasingly technology-driven care.
Why it matters
A brief, respectful greeting can improve patient trust and satisfaction during critical medical encounters.
In this story
