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7 Tips To Communicate Better With Your Patients

Date: 02/20/18

Numerous studies, including this one from the Institute for Healthcare Communications, have proven again and again that a healthcare provider’s ability to communicate effectively is a significant factor in how well a patient adheres to treatment plans, self-manages chronic conditions, and adopts improved health behaviors. In addition, how well a healthcare professional communicates with a patient impacts the patient’s perception of the quality of care they are receiving.

There are many reasons that a patient might not understand what their doctor is telling them. Those factors, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, include:

  • The patient’s social and/or economic status
  • The patient’s education level
  • The complexity of the treatment and instructions
  • Health system variables
  • Patient depression or stress
  • Physical or financial obstacles to drug or care access
  • Poor provider communication

Healthcare professionals can help their patients overcome many of these barriers by utilizing these communication tips from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP):

  1. Build rapport with the patient: Simple actions like walking into the exam room with a smile, calling the patient by name and sitting at eye level with the patient can help the patient to feel more comfortable communicating with you.
  2. Don’t interrupt the patient: While it’s key to keep the conversation on track, it’s also important that you listen to the patient without interrupting to get a fuller picture of what brought the patient in to see you.
  3. Ask open-ended questions: Avoiding questions that have “yes” or “no” answers requires the patient to give you more detail when responding.
  4. Empower the patient: Encourage the patient to participate in the decision-making process by explaining, in simple language, the care or treatment options available.
  5. Provide more information: Use patient-friendly handouts to give the patient more information about the treatment you’ve prescribed and tell them places where they can find more information, such as appropriate websites.
  6. Include the patient in the documentation process: Wait until the end of the visit to write information into the patient’s chart or EHR, and explain to the patient what you’re adding to the record and why.
  7. Use the teach-back method: Asking the patient to explain what you’ve told them in their own words helps the patient to remember your directions and improves compliance with the prescribed treatment plan.

More Provider Resources:

As a Louisiana Healthcare Connections network provider, you can request the assistance of a translators to better communicate with your patients who speak a language other than English. This free service also includes sign language interpretation. Find out more about our free language resources for providers here.

These articles may also be helpful to you as you work to improve patient communications, enhance the patient experience in your practice, and help patients overcome barriers that may reduce medication and treatment adherence:

Need Resources For Your Patients?

We are happy to translate our patient-facing materials into any language that your patients may need. If you would like to request materials for your patients in a language other than English, let your dedicated Provider Consultant know, or call Provider Services at 1-866-595-8133.

We also provide our members – your patients – with access to many tools and resources that support your efforts to improve their outcomes. These resources include: