Do you speak the same “language” as your patients?
No, we’re not asking if you can speak foreign languages, although that is important if you have patients from different cultures.
In this case, what we mean by “speaking your patients’ language” is conveying information to patients in a way that they understand. Patients have different levels of understanding about medical conditions than physicians and medical staff do. They may also communicate important information in different ways.
To get patients actively involved in their healthcare and help them adhere to treatment plans, you need to learn to speak their language and convey information in a way that best resonates with them.
Why Communication is Critical
Communication is so important to get patients the right diagnosis and help them adhere to the treatment plan. Most of your patients do not have a medical background, and may not understand the importance of certain questions you ask or treatments you recommend. In communicating with patients, you need to fully explain why you are asking the question and why you are recommending the treatment. If you don’t, you could miss out on an opportunity to collect important information that can help your patients.
An article in HIPAA Journal explains how poor communication between patients and providers can lead to lower patient satisfaction, poor patient outcomes, and even potential harm to patients. Doctors are tasked with listening to verbal and non-verbal cues to gather information and make a diagnosis. They must also understand that medical jargon can get in the way of communication and lead to misunderstandings with things like medication and follow-up instructions. It’s important to simplify as much as possible to ensure your patients understand next steps and can give informed consent.
When you take the time to communicate with your patients in a way that they understand, your patients will become more involved with their care and will be better equipped to make important decisions about their health.
Learning to Speak Your Patients’ Language
It is important for physicians to develop good listening, questioning, and explanatory skills to effectively communicate with patients. Physicians need to be able to recognize nonverbal cues like body language and facial expressions, as they sometimes give clues that the patient doesn’t understand something or may be feeling anxiety around a particular issue. If a physician can recognize these cues, there is an opportunity to address those issues and develop a better relationship with the patient.
Physicians also need to be mindful of nonverbal cues that they may be sending to patients. A physician who looks his patients in the eye, rather than looking at a computer entering notes, is more likely to have more productive communication with patients. Patients may get flustered or forget important details if they feel they are being rushed through the appointment. Physicians who slow down and let patients fully explain their symptoms will often be able to gather more information, and patient satisfaction will be greater because patients will feel the doctor genuinely cares.
It is also important that doctors invite patients to ask questions and offer to clarify anything they don’t understand. You might be surprised how many patients don’t truly know the meaning of even the most commonly-used medical terms. A 2018 Reuters article cites a UK study of oral and maxillofacial patients who were asked to define common terms like “benign,” “lesion,” “metastasis,” etc. The study found that 33% of patients did not know the meaning of the term “benign,” and only 6% were able to correctly identify the meaning of “metastasis.” Misunderstandings of these common, yet critical, terms could lead patients to delay necessary care and lead to potentially detrimental outcomes.
Every patient is different and will have different ways of communicating. Just as it takes time to speak a foreign language, it may take time to learn each of your patients’ “languages.” At the end of the day, patients want to feel that you understand and that they can trust you to help them get the care they need. When you convey that to your patients, patient satisfaction will be greater, and your patients will have better outcomes.
As the P3 Marketing Manager, Ashley ensures that our clients’ marketing strategies are put into action. This includes content writing, SEO, online advertising, analytics, and interfacing with the tools, systems, and team members needed to help our medical practice clients accomplish their marketing goals.
Scott Zeitzer
Scott has been in the healthcare industry for his entire adult life. Prior to launching P3, he earned a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering and spent 10 years selling medical devices (total hips, total knees, trauma devices, and CMF devices) to orthopedists and neurosurgeons.
