From 101 Practical Tips to Enhance Your Practice, from Advisory Publications, a division of HCPro, Inc.
Good staff-patient relations can make or break a practice. You want your staff to make your patients feel special when they come into your office. Here are some tips to remember that will help build your practice and make patients feel connected to you and your staff:
Never act as though patients are interrupting your work. They're the reason you are in business.
Greet patients with a friendly smile.
Call patients by name.
Remember that to patients, each employee is the practice.
Never argue with patients. Be a good listener, agree with them when you can, and do what you can to please them.
Never say "I don't know."
Remember that patients pay your wages.
Make positive statements.Instead of saying a patient can't do something, phrase your advice as a suggestion like, "You might want to try..." or "It's good to do..."
2 missing, found only 8
ReplyDeleteHi. I'm sorry to hear about your mother. I hope she is able to have a peaceful death surrounded by her family. Thank you for sharing your own hopes and fears at such a difficult time.
ReplyDeleteYour words about IVF, miscarriage and death moved me very much - I have fertility problems and have had a miscarriage; your comment that it is 'the closest any of us will come to living through death' spoke to me in a very personal way. Thank you for that.
I just wanted to respond to the 'tip for better patient relationships' which advises staff never to say "I don't know". As a patient I think this advice is misguided. I'm well aware that there is much that medical science doesn't know (e.g., in many cases, the reasons for miscarriage), and I think it is a mark of respect if a doctor or nurse is honest enough to tell me if they are at the limits of their knowledge. I realise you are quoting and this isn't your own advice. I'd be interested to know your views, in a future post maybe?
Dear Carrie,
ReplyDeleteThe above tip which advises staff not to say " I don't know", refers only to their answering administrative questions, such as - " Do you accept credit cards"; or " Where is the nearest parking available? ". It does NOT refer to their answering medical queries - this is the job of the doctor/ healthcare professional. The response to medical queries should be - " The doctor will be happy to discuss that with you".
I hope this clarifies matters !