Identifying existential concerns as an analytical tool: an eye-opener for the doctor.

Existential concerns manifest themselves emotionally in patients. Emotions tend to be transferred between patient and doctor but the underlying existential concerns may remain hidden and obscure for both. If doctors understand that there are always existential concerns behind patients' inquiries it becomes easier to relate to the patient's feelings in an interested and curious way. Ultimately this benefits both doctors and patients. We have observed five existential human concerns leads to strong emotions (1. death, 2. thrown-ness, 3. aloneness, 4. choosing (the imperative of choice) and 5. meaninglessness (the absence of objective meaning).

Helping doctors to improve the 'Patient's Part' of consultation using the 'Macro-Micro Supervision' teaching method.

A doctor-patient consultation can be viewed as consisting of three parts: Patient's Part, Doctor's Part and Shared Part. Macro-Micro Supervision is a teaching method developed to train doctors in consultation techniques for the initial Patient's Part and to become more patient-centred. Doctors find the Patient's Part of our consultation method the most difficult. Macro-Micro Supervision is used when groups review video-recorded role-plays of real consultations or of simulated consultations, where participants alternate between playing doctor and patient. It can also be used in one-to-one supervision.