Both successful and effective communication and positive physician-patient relationships have been associated with favorable patient health outcomes. This alone should be a strong clinical indication that improved patient experiences could lead to better healthcare outcomes overall.
If the following suggestions can be made use of and the patient experience is improved overall, a given clinic or hospital may be seeing fewer malpractice attorneys. Further, patient experience may be one of the critical factors when it comes to reducing overall malpractice or potentially fatal poor decision making.
How to Improve Communication with Patients.
Communication is a soft skill that, while many doctors were trained to provide care, they may not have developed throughout their education. Communicating effectively is a skill that requires cultivation and training.
Making sure a physician or anyone interacting with patients knows how to communicate best in a variety of everyday and tough situations is key to making sure patients feel seen, and patient flow is improved. Offering regular training sessions can help develop these potentially neglected soft skills.
How to Improve Patient Relationships with Their Care Teams.
Patient relationships, though the key to the patient experience, can be fickle. Going to the doctor is something someone does and then expects to be diagnosed and treated. What is that diagnosis is elusive or the patient requires a long course of treatment?
Developing a relationship where the patient feels that their physician knows and understands their needs is critical. How this is done varies from patient to patient. In many cases, allowing physicians the luxury of spending more time with their patients is vital.
Know What a Patient Needs, Not Just What Their Symptoms Require.
Often, a doctor with reach for a prescription pad before thinking about a more lifestyle-oriented solution. If a patient can’t sleep, they may be prescribed sleeping medication rather than be asked what their sleeping habits are like. The root of the problem may be a dust-mite allergy, bed bugs, or just their sleeping position or bedding.
Evaluating Antiquated Processes.
Not every administrative process or role is necessary. Technology has rapidly changed many industries, with healthcare being one of them. One of these areas being revolutionised is in healthcare learning, and a healthcare learning management system vendor such as LMSThemes can help drastically improve training and learning of the latest methods in healthcare.
Streamlining Administrative Processes.
Doctors, on average, may spend as much as two-thirds of their time on paperwork as opposed to seeing or treating patients. While support staff can help with this burden, technology may be a better bet. By making the most of intuitive programs, templates, and “smart” healthcare platforms, doctors may end up with more time to spend with patients.
Making the Most of Telehealth.
While not approved, available, or able to be billed to insurance in many areas of the country, telehealth has steadily been being adopted and improved. This can enhance the healthcare experience of any patient with a busy schedule in addition to any patient that happens to be home-bound.
Telehealth may be most effective in psychology and psychiatry. Not only is it able to bring care into the home, but by doing so may lower stigma and reduce resistance to seeing someone for a mental health issue. It may also reduce missed or skipped appointments.
