Tips for Physicians and Patients to Improve Office Visit

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Tips for Physicians and Patients to Improve Office Visit Patient-physician communication is an integral part of clinical practice.

Collaborative decision-making plays a key role in successful physician-patient relationship and a productive office visit. Patients often hold back from asking questions or sharing opinions, resulting in compromised medical decisions. It often happens that patients as well as physicians fail to communicate well during their scheduled visits. While doctors are under pressure to keep a tight schedule, patients arrive poorly prepared. The way a physician communicates with a patient is as important as the information being communicated. While family practice medical transcription companies continue to help with physicians’ documentation tasks, there are many things that both physicians and patients can do to add value to the office visit.

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What Healthcare Providers Should Consider Here are some tips that can help patients as well as physicians treating them to improve their communication and make the office visit more productive.

Start with the patient’s priorities  A study published by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) in 2008 finds that between 30 percent and 80 percent of patients‘ expectations are not met in routine primary care visits.  The physician should establish the patient's priorities and what will be addressed during that visit.

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Establish face to face communication  Sit face to face with the patient and listen to them without interrupting.  Patients' facial expressions are good indicators of what they actually feel – sadness, worry, or anxiety.  Studies show that patient adherence to treatment recommendations improves with face-to-face communication and education.

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Stay calm, don’t rush  Physicians are always on a tight schedule, but try not to show your impatience to patients.  Typing patient details during consultation could be a distraction.  Listen attentively until the patient completes sharing his/her concerns.  Remember, older patients may need more time. Speaking slowly and clearly is important to ensure that they understand your instructions.  Your patients will sense your impatience and shut down, making effective communication impossible.  Do not appear rushed or uninterested.

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Let them ask questions During the office encounter, allow some question time for patients. ďƒ˜ Let them ask their doubts, so that you can ensure whether they have understood the instructions and information provided. ďƒ˜ Providing written instructions in a simple and easy-to-follow format can promote compliance treatment plan.

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Visual aids help ďƒ˜ Visual aids such as charts, pictures and slides could be a good strategy to build patient engagement during a short office visit. ďƒ˜ During consultation, these tools improve communication and help patients better understand their condition and treatment.

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What Patients Can Do to Make the Office Visit a Productive One Express your concerns The patient’s visit a doctor is primarily intended to share their health concerns and get a solution. Make a list of your concerns based on priority and bring it along with you. This can save time and add focus to the visit.

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Let your caregiver or loved one accompany you If you think you are nervous and may not be able to pay attention to what the doctor is saying, ďƒ˜ Bring along a loved one or caregiver. ďƒ˜ He/she can make notes of the instructions and also provide the physician with valuable information about your health.

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Share what worries you most  Prioritize your problems, if you have multiple concerns.  This will allow the physician to focus on addressing that.  Also, speak up if there is anything you do not understand during the history, exam, medication prescription, and explanation of the action plan.

Patients’ perceptions of the quality of the healthcare they receive are highly dependent on the quality of their interactions with their healthcare clinician and team. Making care decisions as partners can go a long way toward improving outcomes. With support to ensure accurate EHR documentation, medical transcription companies play a key role in ensuring accurate and timely physicians’ notes for coordination and continuity of care.

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