Living Breathing Medicine Podcast – Easing Suffering with Dr. Ken Zweig

Dr. Cecily Havert and Dr. Natasha Beauvais speak with Dr. Ken Zweig, one of their colleagues at Northern Virginia Family Practice. Dr. Zweig focuses on sleep disorders, hypertension, and preventive care. In this episode, he shares the story of a patient who taught him the importance of empathy and of meeting people in their suffering. He also talks about his philosophy of care– that providing good medicine is about preventing future suffering

Episode Highlights:

• 2:10 – Dr. Cecily Havert introduces Dr. Ken Zweig, Dr. Beauvais and Dr. Havert’s colleague at Northern Virginia Family Practice. She introduces his background, education, and his particular interest as a provider.
• 2:19 – 6:00 – Dr. Zweig tells a story about a patient interaction that started off on the wrong foot, but later turned into a positive relationship.
• 6:40- 9:13 – Sometimes, the advice we receive may not be what we want to hear, but it is exactly what we need. The providers discuss how important it is to be honest and straightforward with their patients, and the importance of having a strong and trusting relationship with your patients.
• 11:12 – 12:42 – Dr. Beauvais asks Dr. Zweig how he could have done the aforementioned patient interaction differently. “Maybe the best way to get people see where they are is asking them, “what are you seeing?” “What do you think you could do differently?” Reframing the questions helps get more information in a more personal way.
• 14:08 – 21:17 – The providers discuss the “art of behavior change,” and how they are trying to prevent disease and move people in the right direction while working together with them. Often, patients need to be ready to make the change on their own before they make the jump.
• 22:46 – 26:00 – The relationship between a provider and patient is a true partnership – each patient is a little different, and tailoring care to the individual is extremely important. The providers also discuss maturing over the course of their medical careers and being more comfortable with having harder conversations.
• 26:18 – 29:13 – Even after giving multiple recommendations, sometimes there are patients that are not willing to take the providers advice. The providers discuss how to navigate this situation – What are you trying to get out of this visit? What are you hoping to get out of this? Although difficult, the providers discuss how over time, they become more willing to accept that not every patient is going to take their advice.
• 29:13 – 32:00 – As primary care providers, a lot of what they do is preventative medicine, and not always seen very easily. They are successful when they prevent something from happening, rather than defend.
• 32:36 – Dr. Beauvais thanks Dr. Zweig for joining the podcast and introduces Dr. Vijay Heffner as the next guest on Living Breathing Medicine Podcast.