Sitting Position is Beneficial: The Role of Rounds Culture and Communication in Patient Care and Teaching

Letters to the Editor regarding the article Communication on Rounds by Flavio Gössi, Christoph Becker, Sebastian Gross, Armon Arpagaus, Stefano Bassetti, and Sabina Hunziker in issue 13/2025

Many thanks for this important and comprehensive article regarding communication on rounds (1). It would be more than desirable to include its contents as an integral part of curricular education, training, and continuing education. However, I missed any mention of a very simple measure to improve communication between doctor and patient: the doctor should assume a sitting position during rounds. Numerous studies have confirmed that the majority of patients experiences communication at eye level—such as is guaranteed if the doctor is seated—as very helpful, especially when difficult and complex information is communicated (2). The information shared becomes more comprehensible and the encounter with the medical professional is experienced as more empathetic and interested. The objective time taken by the round is not affected, although patients often perceive this to be longer (3). One of the main obstacles to implementing this very simple measure in our highly technologized hospital environment regularly consists in the lack of a suitable seat; fixing a folding chair to the ward trolley or the wall in the patient’s room (bearing the note “reserved for round”) might be helpful in obviating this problem (4). And finally: senior doctors sitting down during their rounds (it does not have to be everyone!) would be setting a good example for young resident/assistant doctors and communicate the benefits of eye-level communication in an exemplary way.

DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.m2025.0165

Prof. Dr. med. Martin Weber

Mainz

Conflict of interest statement

The author declares that no conflict of interest exists.

References

1. Gössi F, Becker C, Gross S, Arpagaus A, Bassetti S, Hunziker S: Communication on rounds: The role of rounds culture and communication in patient care and teaching. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2025; 122: 362–70.

2. Marks S, Gully J, Deming J: Fast facts and concepts #514. The importance of sitting when caring for patients with serious illness; Juni 2025. www.mypcnow.org/fast-fact/ff-514-the-importance-of-sitting-whencaring-for-patients-with-serious-illness/ (last accessed on 28 July 2025).

3. Swayden KJ, Anderson KK, Connelly LM, Moran JS, McMahon JK, Arnold PM: Effect of sitting vs. standing on perception of provider time a bedside: A pilot study. Patient Educ Couns 2012; 86: 166–71.

4. Golden B, Tackett S, Kobayashi K, et al.: Wall-mounted folding chairs to promote resident physician sitting at the hospital bedside. J Hosp Med 2024; 19: 356–67.