Have you ever been to a doctor who seemed to be in a rush while they treated or spoke with you? After the appointment, you likely felt unheard and even as if the doctor didn’t resolve the problem satisfactorily.
Bedside manner, or how a doctor or nurse communicates with the patient, is essential to patient experience and helping the patient build up the confidence to speak freely about their problem. Whether you’re a seasoned doctor or just starting, it’s essential to demonstrate an appropriate bedside manner in order to best help your patients.
Here are a few important tips.
Communicate!
Communication with the patient is vital. A doctor that is open about their ideas and the reasoning behind treatment decisions, shows genuine concern, and listens patiently will build rapport with the patient. The more comfortable and heard a patient feels, the more likely they are to tell you their real concerns and ideas.
If you aren’t naturally a good listener or communicator, you can easily practice through role-play.
Body Language
While this may not have occurred to you initially, body language can make or break a patient-doctor interaction. Look at the patient when speaking to them, especially if the patient has an interpreter present. Carry yourself in a way that shows you are confident in your ability to help them, and take the opportunity to sit while you hear their concerns.
Dr. Jason Campbell, for example, used expressive body language as he danced to cheer up his Covid patients. While not every doctor is going to dance in the office or hospital, it’s essential to recognize that when you are relaxed and focused, the patient will be more likely to do the same.
Validate
There is nothing more off-putting to a patient than a doctor that brushes off concerns. Most patients end up at the doctor’s office or hospital for a specific reason. The truth is that most don’t take the time for annual checkups. So, listening intently to what the patient is saying and then validating concerns is important. Your patient may be worried that something happening to them is abnormal or unique when in reality, it may be normal or ordinary. However, to maintain a proper bedside manner, you should put yourself in their shoes and acknowledge how they may be feeling before proceeding to explain your diagnosis.
Being there for patients, as Dr. Jason Campbell was during the Covid pandemic, can go a long way. It will bring your patients back to you over and over.
There are also times in every doctor’s life that they may have to bear bad news. If you can’t find a baby’s heartbeat, or must diagnose cancer, or another life-altering diagnosis, it’s important to do so with tact and take the time to let the patient experience their emotions. Sometimes simply being present is enough to help calm the patient. Acknowledge that this may be a difficult time for them and that it is okay to feel whatever they are feeling.
