Providing a pleasant patient experience is essential for healthcare businesses that prioritize patient satisfaction. That’s why a dependable phone system for medical office is necessary to guide health care practitioners in giving the best care possible and communicate with the patient better.
Although healthcare providers have rewarding jobs, they also deal with a lot of difficult situations. After all, no patient asks to be in the hospital, and their family members who visit have a lot on their thoughts. How do you handle these scenarios on your own? How do you establish effective communication with the patients?
Stay a HIPAA Compliant Healthcare Professional
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) safeguards the privacy and access to medical records of each patient. Trust is a key component of good patient communication. Patients and families have to know that hospital nurses would follow the rules protecting the privacy of their medical files.
Practice Empathic Listening
Listening to patients and families can help you develop effective communication skills. Healthcare professionals should constantly strive to practice empathic listening, a form of active listening that focuses on the other person’s emotional responses. Empathetic listening does not have to take a long time to master, but it does need concentrated effort and commitment.
Talk From the Heart
It takes a long time to communicate with patients. Effective communication between healthcare professionals and patients requires honesty and frankness. They must have a genuine desire to understand their patients’ issues and treat them with kindness and politeness to develop good nurse-patient communication. Recognize the patients’ emotions and acknowledge their opinions. Ask open-ended questions, talk slowly, and use non-medical terminology wherever possible.
Use Gestures
According to psychologist Albert Mehrabian’s key study on the influence of body language, nonverbal communication accounts for 93% of the information gained from a conversation. He said that words only account for 7%, but body language accounts for 55% of how people feel about the person talking to them. The most powerful form of communication is body language. Maintaining a great relationship with patients and their families can be as simple as maintaining constant eye contact, reassuring nods, and smiles.
Value Every Families’ Knowledge and Experiences
Although family members may lack medical knowledge, they are the experts on the person who is receiving care. They may have a greater understanding of a patient’s pain, suffering, or interest. They also have access to critical background information that might influence procedural or therapeutic decisions. Families feel appreciated and respected when they are encouraged to speak out and ask questions.
Always Put The Patients First
Putting patients first requires a mindset adjustment. Begin your discussion by introducing yourself and telling them how you would care for them. Smile and speak in a calm, inviting tone. When patients want comfort, provide it to them. Always treat your patients with respect. Knowing who the patients are would allow healthcare professionals to connect with them and make them feel more at ease while receiving treatment and care. These methods may help patients feel truly cared for while also improving relationships.
