A checklist for patient satisfaction

Just as checklists have become popular in healthcare to improve patient safety, such a resource can also help physicians better connect with patients, according to a Huffington Post article.

Physicians who want their patients to view them as credible and caring, and want to create greater patient satisfaction and compliance, can try several techniques, according to the article. The two highest impact moments in interacting with your patients are the first and last, so pay particular attention to when you first meet your patient and in your parting comments, the post said.

Here are the five of the 10 techniques the article suggests:

  • Greet patients with a warm smile, with slightly elevated eyebrows, to demonstrate you care.
  • During office visits, address patients by name and make eye contact.
  • At the beginning and end of patient visits, speak slower and in a lower voice and use fewer arm and hand gestures.
  • Pay close attention. When the patient asks a question or makes a comment, repeat what the patient said before responding.
  • Don't overwhelm patients with too much information. Avoid offering more than three options from which they can choose.

Physicians can't underestimate the power of communication--one recent study found that the perception of physicians being empathetic was the biggest factor in patients' satisfaction.

To learn more:
- read the article