Tips to Better Communicate With Patients

The way you communicate with your patients is often as important as the information you give them. Research shows a strong correlation between a health care provider’s communication skills and patient health outcomes and satisfaction with care. Knowing this, I created a fun mnemonic device for successful approaches I use to COMMUNICATE with patients and their families. See how some of these insights work for you! Communicate with the patient directly Acknowledge your patients’ communicative competence by looking them in the eyes and speaking directly to them. Avoid speaking about them to care partners if they’re in the room. No matter what their communication abilities, patients want to feel like an active participant in their own rehabilitation. Offer support and cues as needed If you notice the patient experiencing difficulty talking with you, offer assistance and wait for them to accept before helping. Try providing visual cues or using other nonverbal communication strategies to help them develop a sense of autonomy. Make a real connection Develop a connection between you and your patients by sitting face-to-face, using a sensitive tone of voice and showing genuine interest in their background and interests. Ask patients about their family, favorite movies or books, and other personal questions. Take a moment to write down some of the answers. People really appreciate when you remember little facts. Use these insights from an audiologist, physician and SLP to show ...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Audiology Speech-Language Pathology Health Care patient-centered care Professional Development Source Type: blogs