Being a doctor or healthcare professional involves more than knowing a great deal about medical and health issues and treatments. Many patients feel nervous about coming to see a healthcare professional, as this often means they are suffering from a health issue. This may involve emotions and discussing personal issues that may make them feel uncomfortable. As a medical practitioner, you may see so many patients that you forget to treat every single one in a way that will make them feel at ease.
Whether you only see a patient one time or you will see them more often, you should always aim to build a positive relationship with your patients. This will not only benefit them, but it will also make it easier for you to gather information as they will be more likely to want to discuss issues with you. This article will provide you with tips to make your patients feel even more comfortable whenever they come to see you.
Listen to your Patient
One of the best ways to make your patients feel more comfortable is by actively listening to them. Many times, healthcare professionals may quickly dismiss a patient’s intuition when they have concerns about their own health. This can happen naturally, considering that medical professionals see so many individuals on a daily basis. However, you must understand that every person expects the best treatment when they see a doctor and some health issues are very difficult to discuss. Listen to your patient and reassure them as much as they need.
Create a Welcoming Environment
Going to a hospital or healthcare office can be an extremely emotional experience. Evidently, the majority of individuals going to the doctors do so due to a health concern, rather than for something positive. Naturally, the medical environment can produce anxious feelings in the patient. Creating a positive environment where they feel comfortable is essential and it will allow you to better get to know the individual and for them to discuss their issues with you. Some of the things you can do to improve the environment where you see your patient include investing in wall art and investing in good furniture. One of the best things you can do is contact healthcare chair suppliers to purchase comfortable seating for your patients. Having a comfortable place to sit whilst talking to a doctor can make a massive difference when discussing health concerns.
Educate Your Patients
As a doctor or healthcare professional, you will have extensive education and experience that your patients do not have. You will be used to certain medical jargon that the average person is not aware of. As a professional, it can be difficult to be aware of this and patients may not want to fully admit that they do not understand what you are talking about due to not wanting to feel embarrassed. This is something that you should understand and be careful with. Make sure that your patients understand what you are telling them and educate them on things, even when you think that they are basic.
Follow-up with Patients
Seeing the patient one time and giving them all of the attention and proper care is essential to make them feel comfortable. However, the medical care may not stop once their appointment is over. This is particularly important for patients with long-term health concerns. Following-up with individuals is just as essential and will significantly improve your rapport with them. Ideally, this should be done with every patient, although we understand that it is not possible in the real world where the healthcare service is always under so much pressure and demand. Follow-up with those patients that require this type of service like the ones that are likely to come back due to having a more serious condition. Doing this will show them that you care about their well-being, thus making them feel less anxious and more comfortable.
Spend Time Your Patients
Every patient wants to feel that they are receiving the best care from their doctor. This includes feeling that they are listened to, as we discussed previously, but also that the healthcare professionals make the time for them. Again, due to high caseloads, you may not be able to achieve this with every single patient you see, but it is certainly something you should do with those with more serious health issues, and the patients that have no family or friends visiting them regularly. Even a few minutes every now and then with a patient can make a great difference in their emotional well-being and comfort.
Be Positive
Being positive every single day can be extremely difficult when you are constantly dealing with people’s issues and see so many people in difficult situations. However, a negative environment where the staff members feel and look exhausted can be detrimental to a patient’s recovery. Simple things you can do to improve this include smiling, making eye contact and comforting the patients with gentle words. Your relaxed demeanor will automatically bring a sense of comfort and relaxation to your patients.
Look After Yourself
When discussing the wellbeing of patients, many people tend to focus on how they can make others feel good. However, the fact that the healthcare professional needs to feel good within themselves is often neglected. Your patients will not feel comfortable if you do not look well and they may doubt your professionalism, which will increase their anxiety. You must remember that to look after other people well you must first look after yourself properly. Whenever you feel exhausted, take the time to rest and take care of your own emotional wellbeing so that you can be the best version of yourself and provide the ultimate comfort to your patients when you are dealing with them.
Being a healthcare professional is not easy, but it should remain a priority that you look after your patients properly so that they feel relaxed with you and you are able to develop a good rapport with them. Make sure to follow the tips provided above to make your patients feel as comfortable as possible.
