The reality is this: Many physicians need to see as many as 30 patients a day in order to keep the lights on at their practice. But surely these doctors have 90 seconds to connect with their patient.
Within the first few seconds of a patient encounter, doctors can maintain eye contact, smile and lean in to express interest in their patient. All of these actions demonstrate an open and positive attitude toward their patient--and taking the time to smile can only help establish a personal connection, according to a pseudonymous column from MD Magazine.
Why are these actions so important? Because they’re all focused on establishing trust. “I’m about to hold their lives in my hand, so trust means everything,” the author writes.
Physicians need to develop these skill sets for various reasons. For one, there’s the connection between perceived physician empathy and communication and increased malpractice claims. But there’s also the fact that satisfied patients will talk about their experience on social media platforms such as Facebook and Yelp. And happy patients will refer friends and family to your practice, insists the author.
In addition, doctors would be remiss to forget about HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) scores, which tie reimbursement to patient satisfaction, he writes.
Motivational interviewing is another way doctors can connect with patients and encourage them to adopt healthier behaviors, as previously reported by FiercePracticeManagement. The best way to start? Ask open-ended questions.