Dr Aditi Keer graduated from Ryazan State I.P.Pavlov Medical University. She has pursued her PGDM Healthcare management from Prin.L.N.Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research. She is a seasoned writer with experience in the Health and Wellness domain.
Trust is something that takes years to build. So how can you do that within the first few meetings with your patients? Dr Aditi Keer helps us with some great tips for the same!
-
Protect patient privacy
Protecting the privacy of all your patients is the first step towards building a good relationship with them. Never disclose your patient’s case to their family, friends, other patients or on public forums. If you need to do it, always ask for their permission first. Secure your patient records and images so that no one can access them.
-
Lend an empathetic ear
Empathy and compassion are essential features of a caring physician. Doctors should lend their patients an empathetic ear. Avoid jumping to opinions, advice or conclusions before they complete their points. Secondly, do not rush the diagnosis and treatment process. Offer support, comfort and assurance by using empathetic words. A patient likes going back to the doctor who patiently listens and understands their problems.
-
Have a no-nonsense approach
Doctors must maintain their professionalism along with being warm and straightforward. Getting patient history is necessary, but at the same time, do not ask anything that could make the patient uncomfortable. If doctors follow a no-nonsense approach, the patients will be at ease and feel more comfortable sharing all aspects of their medical history.
-
Do not be judgemental
Doctors meet patients from all kinds of different backgrounds. It can vary in aspects such as familial, social, class, culture. However, doctors cannot judge and be biased towards their patients. Their job is to treat every patient who comes to them irrespective of everything else. A patient feels confident to share their problems openly if the doctor is non-judgemental.
-
Communicate in a friendly manner
A good doctor is also an excellent communicator. Many times, the patients are hesitant to share everything and end up lying in uncomfortable situations. However, if the doctor is friendly, the patient will be less hesitant while communicating their problems. The patients form an impression based on the doctor’s tone of voice, pitch and the words they choose while talking.
