The Difficulty, and Power, of Slowing Down

PLAIN-LANGUAGE SUMMARY

Essay 

The Power of Slowing Down to Build New Patient Relationships 

Background:Dr. Emily Dollar describes how, during residency, she mastered efficiency—rushing through patient visits and administrative tasks—but lost the ability to slow down. Upon starting her first job on the Navajo Nation, she reflects on the value of being present, patient, and mindful to build relationships with her new patients. 

Key Argument:While modern medical training emphasizes urgency and multitasking, the act of deliberately slowing one’s pace—taking the time to listen, sit face-to-face, and resist the pull of productivity metrics—yields richer patient narratives and stronger therapeutic relationships. She illustrates this through her encounter with an elderly patient whose life story, shared only when given space, provided critical context for his care. 

Why It Matters: With 15- to 20-minute visits and mountains of paperwork, primary care clinicians are burning out—and patients risk feeling like just numbers. Taking a pause is not wasted time—it’s an investment in understanding, trust, and better outcomes. The author challenges health systems and colleagues to value depth over speed and to build structures that honor the human side of medicine.

The Difficulty, and Power, of Slowing Down

 Emily Dollar, MD 

Northern Navajo Medical Center, Shiprock, New Mexico