Nudging Our Patients

🎙️ Episode 64 – Nudging Our Patients

“She’s one fall away from paralysis.”
“If it were my mom, I’d do the surgery.”
“This is your window.”

These aren’t just medical phrases—they’re nudges: subtle but powerful cues that steer decision-making long before our patients say “yes” or “no.”

In this short solo episode, Dr. Fred Bagares unpacks five common types of clinical nudges we hear (and use) every day in musculoskeletal care:

• Fear-based nudges
• Authority-based nudges
• Urgency-based nudges
• Fix-it framing
• Hopelessness language

🎧 Learn how these shortcuts shape the way patients interpret risk, autonomy, and what's really “on the table”—and why reclaiming our language is a step toward better shared decision-making.

⏱️ Timestamps

Time Topic
| 00:00 | Welcome + Podcast Purpose
| 00:00:40 | “She’s one fall away…” – Language with weight
| 00:01:00 | What is a nudge, anyway?
| 00:03:00 | 1. Fear-Based Nudges
| 00:04:00 | 2. Authority-Based Nudges
| 00:05:00 | 3. Urgency-Based Nudges
| 00:06:00 | 4. Fix-It Framing
| 00:07:30 | 5. Hopelessness Nudges
| 00:10:00 | Reframing language: clear ≠ coercive
| 00:12:30 | Why I started MSK Direct
| 00:14:00 | Reflection Questions + Substack plug
| 00:15:00 | Final thoughts + Thanks

#TalkRehab #DirectCare #SharedDecisionMaking #MSKCare #PhysicianVoices #OutOfNetwork #RehabilitationMedicine #HealthcareCommunication #MusculoskeletalHealth #ClinicalLanguage #PatientCenteredCare #PhysicianLeadership

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