In this episode of NRC Health’s Patient No Longer podcast, Dr. Jon Roberts, Director of Pediatric Pulmonology at Driscoll Children’s Hospital, shares his insights on Human Understanding and the evolving landscape of human-centered care for patients and families.

Patient feedback and pediatric care, hosted by Ryan Donohue, thought-leader, author, and strategic advisor with NRC Health .

Dr. Jon Roberts, Director of Pediatric Pulmonology at Driscoll Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Roberts also serves as the director of Driscoll’s Cystic Fibrosis Center, serving the children of South Texas. He received his medical degree from New York Medical College, and his residency and fellowship training at Winthrop University Hospital. He has been in practice for 18 years.

Understanding human connection in healthcare. With a career dedicated to improving children’s health, Dr. Roberts offers a unique perspective on the challenges and triumphs of pediatric care. He emphasizes the importance of social interaction and emotional needs, which have become even more apparent in recent years, and notes how the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to reevaluate our basic and social needs, highlighting the critical role of healthcare providers in maintaining these connections.

“Human understanding, to me, is the ability of human beings to interact with each other, to listen to each other, to learn from each other, and ultimately, as it’s implied, to understand each other, so that we can evolve even further in our own lifetimes and be the best people that we can be,” Dr. Roberts says.

The role of patient feedback. Receiving and evaluating patient feedback has become a cornerstone of Dr. Roberts’s practice. He discusses the significance of listening to patients and incorporating their experiences into improving healthcare services, emphasizing that while positive reviews are gratifying, constructive criticism is invaluable for growth.

“I can have 99 positive, glowing comments, but the one I’m going to remember is that one negative comment that said, ‘Doctor Roberts didn’t seem like he was listening,’” he says. “Maybe I was off my game that day—whatever it might be, I don’t have an excuse for it. But that’s the one that’s going to sit with me.”

Advice for new healthcare professionals. Dr. Roberts offers straightforward advice to those entering the healthcare field: listen to your patients. He stresses the importance of active listening and empathy, both of which are crucial for providing compassionate and effective care. His insights remind us that at the heart of healthcare is the human connection.

“You look the patient or the person in the eyes, and you just open yourself to whatever they’re saying,” he says.

Tune in to this enlightening episode to gain a deeper understanding of pediatric care and the evolving landscape of healthcare from Dr. Jon Roberts.

Listen to the full episode with Dr. Roberts, or catch it on YouTube.