The Empathy Effect
4 Ways to Build Trust and Strengthen Relationships with Patients BY COPIC’S PATIENT SAFETY AND RISK MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT
T
HE PROVIDER-PATIENT relationship is critical to quality care, especially now, in an age of heightened uncertainty. Communicating effectively is
OMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY C VIA PHONE AND DIGITAL CHANNELS
one of the most important skill sets any provider
When it comes to showing empathy and ensuring that
can have, and continuously improving your capacity
patients understand their health status and recom-
for relationship building will benefit you and your
mended treatments, video calls enable you to use eye
practice for years to come.
contact and read patients’ facial expressions. But what about when you’re limited to telehealth via phone or a text-only chat online?
“It’s an additional challenge because you can’t rely
CULTIVATE EMPATHY
on nonverbal cues,” says Dr. Varnell.
THROUGH EFFECTIVE IN-PERSON COMMUNICATION
probably need to ask more questions in order to assess
If you’re communicating via chat or phone, you’ll the situation, determine a course of action, and make
Empathy is the ability to show that you understand
sure your patient understands. Dr. Varnell emphasizes
or even share the feelings of another person. Showing
the importance of reflective listening when you com-
authentic empathy helps patients feel heard, under-
municate recommended treatment or procedures in
stood, and supported. Research has shown that
an online chat or phone setting.
communicating with empathy leads to higher patient
“You can say, ‘Okay, so this is what we recommend,
and provider satisfaction, improved adherence to treat-
and these are the risks—Why don’t you tell us what
ment plans, and better health outcomes.
you understood about that?’”
Foundational to empathy is the ability to see a situation from within the patient’s frame of reference, says Dr. Jeffrey Varnell, a general surgeon and physician risk manager with COPIC. “As doctors, for example, we know that infections can occur after surgery, but for a patient, that’s not routine at all and can be very scary,” he says.
SE A ROBUST INFORMED U CONSENT PROCESS —NOT JUST A FORM
Informed consent is much more than just a legal
Once you’re looking at a situation through your
imperative. “It’s a chance to improve communication
patient’s eyes, practice reflective listening. When you
and help patients get the most out of their medical
listen reflectively, it means you make eye contact while
care,” says Dr. Varnell.
your patients talk, show genuine interest in what they
For informed consent to be effective, you need a
say, listen without interrupting or interjecting, and
thorough communication process that accompanies
summarize what they said to make sure you under-
any relevant forms.
stand and validate their concerns.
“We distinguish between the process and the paper,” says Dr. Varnell. “The process is where you
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MidwestMedicalEdition.com
