Communication between health-care workers and patients is essential. Doctors and nurses do everything to help their patients feel better, and technology is an excellent supplemental tool to ensure high-quality patient care.
While technology is helpful, sometimes, patients may not feel heard. They might see their doctor or nurse with their face buried in a tablet screen, and the patient may not feel a good connection. Health-care professionals don’t have an easy job, but there needs to be a balance between technology usage and developing patient relationships.
Communication Tips
To build relationships, you need effective communication. During a conversation, make eye contact to develop a connection. Eye contact is a great way to signal that you’re listening to and understanding the patient.
The second most important communication tip is to practice active listening. Whether you’re listening to the patient describe their symptoms or tell a story, always attentively listen.
You should also try to have friendly discussions with patients outside of just discussing health care. Going to the doctor is a scary thing for many people. Get to know your patient so they feel comfortable. This serves as a distraction for uneasy patients and is a great way to develop connections.
Stay Compassionate
Communication through technology can cause people to become distant. It makes you feel like you aren’t talking with a human being when their eyes are locked on a screen. Health-care professionals should be compassionate with their patients’ circumstances. That’s why it’s important to find the right balance between face-to-face communication and technology.
Advanced technology can improve patient care. For example, using a medical tablet cart can help improve patient care because online databases can retain more thorough information than paper records can hold. Any doctor with allowed access can read the patient’s information and make an educated decision about the next step of care.
Explaining Diagnoses
With advanced technology, patients have medical accounts to which doctors can submit test results with little additional information. Most patients may not understand what those results mean for their health.
In addition to revealing test results and giving educational medical resources through websites, health-care professionals should also create appointments for patients to have discussions about these results. This develops a better understanding of medical results for patients and creates a better relationship between patients and doctors.
Health-care professionals do everything they can to provide proper patient care. Hopefully, these additional tips about how to balance technology and patient relationships help create a better environment for all individuals involved in the future.