The Tell Me More® program was created in 2014 by the members of the Icahn School of Medicine Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) chapter to celebrate National Solidarity Day for Compassionate Patient Care and is now a signature project of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation. Zucker School of Medicine Students can elect to participate in Tell Me More® within participating Northwell Hospitals as a summer experience/research project or as a 4th Year Elective. Participation in Tell Me More® is a requirement of the Scholarly Concentration in Humanities in Medicine.
Under the supervision of a Nurse Manager lead and/or a Patient Experience Culture Leader or Clinician, as arranged by the Northwell Health Patient & Customer Experience team, students meet with patients at their bedside and begin a dialogue with the patients to get to know about the patient as a person beyond their illness. Students may choose to begin by utilizing “idea bank” prompts, although deeper conversations often ensue, and students learn to be present and actively listen to the patients. After each conversation, the student creates a “Tell Me More®” wall poster about the patient, using provided templates. The poster is placed in a spot in the hospital room where it is highly visible to all who enter so that clinicians and staff members can get to know the patient at a more individual level, and perhaps strike up personal conversations with the patient.
General Goals of the “Tell Me More ®”:
- Solicit personal information about a patient that can be shared with other members of the health care team to remind them that the patient is a unique human being
- Build rapport and trust between patients and health-care providers by letting patients know that they are respected and cared for as unique individuals
- Remind patients of their special strengths and qualities during a time of hospitalization
- Enhance the patient care experience during hospitalization
- Enhance the health care team’s experience of interacting i.e. building relationships with patients
- Enhance empathy towards patients by health care providers
Zucker School of Medicine Students (M1-M4) interested in participating in Tell Me More® may contact program co-Directors, Dr. Alice Fornari or Dr. Taranjeet Kalra Ahuja.
MORE INFORMATION Zucker School of Medicine Research on Tell Me More®