It’s so important for doctors to be able to communicate with patients effectively. If you’re having trouble connecting with patients, then it’ll be that much harder to treat them properly. Thankfully, there are some tips that you can utilize to improve patient communication. Take a look at the tips below so that you can make some adjustments to improve communication with patients.
Sit Down and Chat
If you remain standing while talking to patients, then it might be sending the wrong message. It sort of makes it look like you’re in a hurry to get things over with and move on to the next patient. Sitting down and talking to your patients will make them feel more comfortable about opening up. Having the right posture and body language can play a role in how comfortable patients feel talking to you as well.
Try to Be an Active Listener
Active listening is actually one of the best tools that you can use when you want to improve patient communication. Show the patient that you’re listening to what they have to say and that you’re interested. Sometimes you might need to interject to keep the conversation going. If you seem disinterested or distracted, then a patient might not bother to continue sharing information that could be important for treating them.
Stop Multitasking
Multitasking is something that many doctors do and it’s understandable that you would want to be efficient since you’re likely busy. However, multitasking while speaking to your patients will not get them to open up to you. It makes you seem more distracted and less invested in the conversation. Try to be very in the moment with your patients so that they will communicate more.
Try to Find Common Ground
Trying to find some common ground with your patient can make them feel more comfortable, too. Some people talk about their families and others might open up by talking about sports. Use your emotional intelligence to try to figure out a solid way to speak to your patients. If you can get them to open up about something that you have in common, then it’ll be easier to get them to talk honestly about medical matters, too.