THINGS THAT PATIENTS DON'T WANT TO HEAR

THINGS THAT PATIENTS DON'T WANT TO HEAR

 

Certain phrases can quickly anger or annoy. Here are some hot buttons you and your staff should avoid pushing.

One key secret to good patient relations is avoiding certain hot-button phrases. With this in mind, here are some things that patients don't want to hear.

"I don't know." No one in your office should ever utter those three words. If a staffer doesn't know the answer to a patent's question—and it doesn't concern sensitive clinical or financial information—she should promise to get an answer as soon as possible.

"We can't do that." This one's guaranteed to get your patent's blood boiling. For one thing, it's often not true. A better response: "Boy, that's a tough one. Let me see what I can do." It's almost always possible to come up with a solution. Encourage staff who find themselves in such situations to come to you or your office manager for advice. On the rare occasion when you're absolutely unable to help someone, be honest and say, "We sure tried for you, but it looks like you may have us on that one." Then ask what suggestions the patient has to solve the problem.

"You'll have to . . . " Patients have plenty of options, and they'll exercise them if you or your staff begin too many sentences with this phrase. Rather than issue a command, soften the request by saying something like, "Here's how we can help you with that."

"You should have . . . " It won't help your practice to blame frustrated or angry patients for the problem, even if they are at fault. Instead, try, "The next time that happens, here's what you can do."

"Hang on a second." This line, usually delivered over the phone, irritates patients because it's never the truth. "Right back" often turns out to be several minutes. People will respond better if your employees are honest with them up front: "It may take me two or three minutes to get that information. Are you able to hold while I check?" Better yet, they should take the patent's number and call back with the answer.

"No." At the beginning of a sentence, the word "no" is useless and conveys total rejection. By thinking before speaking, you and your staff can turn every answer into a positive response. For instance, instead of saying, "No, Dr. A can't see you until Friday," your receptionist might respond, "I'm sorry, Dr. A's schedule is filled, but Dr. B can see you at 2 o'clock today. Will that be all right?" Instead of saying "No, you don't need an ENT referral," you can say "Let's try this medication for two weeks; if you're not feeling better then, we'll explore other options."

"It's our policy." Sometimes, your staff won't be able to accommodate a patent's wishes. When they have to deliver the bad news, it's a good idea for them to give the reason for it. Too often, though, the reason given includes the "P" word: "It's our policy." This is akin to a parent telling a child, "Because I said so." It's not an informative or satisfying explanation.

Sure, medical practices need policies, and your staff should be well trained in what they are and how to use them. But avoid the "P" word. And, if you can't come up with a good reason for the rejection, maybe it's time to dump the policy and give patients what they want.

"I understand, but . . . " The clinker in this phrase is "but." It tells patients that everything they have just said is about to be invalidated by what they're about to hear. Just leave it out.

"I'm new here." This is in the same family as "Nobody told me" and "That's not my department." When patients have problems, they don't want to hear anyone ducking responsibility—they want help. If an employee is new or doesn't know how to assist a patient, have her say something like, "I can't help you with that. Let me get my senior." Or, "Suman usually handles that, and she's away. I'll discuss this with her as soon as she returns."

 I came across this article. It seems to me relevant in our settings.
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Dr Marwah