Patient Communication - The Guide to Patient Satisfaction

In a hospital environment, no day is like another. Whether you like it or not, for many of us, hospitals are not the place to be, but it is where miracles happen every day.

You may call it chaotic and emotionally overwhelming. Still, healthcare centres are where you discover the power of positivity, strength and regain confidence – and we see and experience it all without losing Hope!

The responsibility to save a patient’s life and restore their optimum well-being becomes our top priority right from the moment they step into our premises. Be it in Out-Patient, In-Patient Services, Emergency, Intensive Care Unit, or Post-Operative Care Units to till discharge, if there is one thing that plays a pivotal role in offering the best of our services, it is Communication – crisp, clear, and compelling!

Trust me; it is not like any other form of Communication. Over the years, I have learned that talking to patients and their loved ones often demands plenty of interpersonal communication skills, empathy, compassion, and pragmatism – all in one go!

Contrary to the belief, it is not just medical experts who regularly interact with patients. The paramedical staff, including nurses, physiotherapists, nutritionists, and administration personnel who ensure the highest quality health care backed by values, are crucial to patients’ recovery and overall experience.

Building a positive relationship between the members of the healthcare team and the patients is no easy task. Over the years, I understood that each patient is different; their health struggles vary, and so do their perceptions of their well-being, treatment, and care experience.

Communicating with the patient or with their family is like a two-way road. It should focus on explaining the diagnosis, dispelling their fears, dotted with profound empathy, and at the

same, should also encourage and promote patient-centered treatment choices for ensuring adherence through the process.

Agree or disagree, it is never easy to break the bad news, but thanks to modern medical advancements, the details about treatment protocols can be reassuring. On many occasions, I faced this dilemma and this particular question from friends, acquaintances, and even colleagues on why patients should be fully aware of their health conditions and why cannot we hide the truth?

Interacting with patients in the right way positively impacts physical and psychological outcomes and, in turn, helps organizations to perform better and provide the highest quality care

In these days and times of online availability medical literature, it may feel like a Herculean task to assure the patient about the prognosis, but for us, it is when patience steps in. Again, it all trickles down to choosing the right words. Practical and positive interactions, appropriate counseling, and therapeutic instructions can establish a deeply caring relationship with the patients.

I come across patients from varied backgrounds, positive and scared, confident and confused, but our ultimate objective remains the same - trusted healthcare delivery. An honest, detailed interaction by the doctors, administration and paramedics with the patients goes a long way in managing chronic conditions, sustaining a therapeutic relationship, and also regulate the patient’s emotions in the long run.

Plenty of studies proved that ‘comfort and care experienced by patients in the hospital aid them in gaining a sense of control over pain, instill positivity and encourage them to function on their own.

Interacting with patients in the right way positively impacts physical and psychological outcomes and, in turn, helps organizations to perform better and provide the highest quality care. Values-based health care is the core of the health care industry and is like a perennial thread that always connects us with the patients.

My team and I, abide by that!