Happy Patient, Happy Doctor! Patient education is your ally.

Be and feel like a better doctor. Improve patient and staff satisfaction. Patient and staff education is the key.

happy doctor

When we talk about being a good doctor, we could talk about bedside manners, courtesy, medical knowledge, professionalism, and even personality traits.

But there is something! Something about patient education! It all changes if your patients understand their disease and participate in their treatment decisions. It’s a win-win!

There is something else. What happens at the front desk and triage is the first impression a patient has of your practice.  Not only do you want a friendly, welcoming, and efficient staff. You want them to be knowledgeable. You want your clinic to run smoothly.

Patient education comes in many forms

Now technology brings many options when it comes to teaching and learning. New trends are on the rise.

Here are some tips to stay on top of communications in your practice:

Start a blog.

Send a newsletter.

Distribute written material. Written material does not have to be boring. Use visual elements like infographics to clarify concepts and draw the patient’s attention.

Customize your waiting room material. Entertain your patients with newsletters, videos, or Power Point slides.

Make sure the content is relevant and customized to your services.  It must reflect the best medical practices. Review all the content and make sure it is not biased. Your medical writer can help you produce your content.

Bonus: Content Ideas for potential (happy) patients

Launch a website. Your website must be high quality, informative, helpful to patients, and engaging for potential patients. Your website should be fast and visible. It should appear in the search results when people browse the web. SEO (search engine optimization) is the process of making your website discoverable. Once you have a website, you must have a blog. Your blog posts should be SEO-friendly.

Make use of social media. Online patient reviews may help increase your visibility and attract new patients. It can help you get some feedback and insights about your service. But also, you will have to learn how to address any concerns or bad reviews.

Don’t forget about HIPAA compliance! Any public information must be general and not refer to any patient in particular. If you rather avoid social media and public information, you may still use technology in your favor. Consider the use of a HIPAA-compliant platform that allows messaging with your patients. Patients will appreciate being able to reach you out.

What about staff education?

happy medical team

You don’t want your staff to provide medical advice. But under supervision, your team can help you a bit with your workload. You can teach your medical assistants basic answers to common patient questions. For example, how to prepare before a procedure. In that way, you ensure patients are receiving information that is correct and approved by you. 

Even better, if you have all that content in writing! The staff will have patient education protocols to follow. Your team will feel engaged and part of the practice. It changes the atmosphere, and the patients can notice this! Did I mention that patients will get the correct information approved by you?

The bottom line

Effective communication is a valuable skill your patients will be grateful for. A knowledgeable doctor and staff capture the patient’s attention and increase their compliance. Patients who participate in their healthcare decisions feel acknowledged and content. That will make you happier.

*This post refers to what I have learned on the go and through my personal experiences. Stay tuned for evidence-based material about the patient-doctor relationship, education, and communication.*

Related articles:

Should you have a newsletter for your medical practice?

Should you have a blog for your medical practice?

Happy Patient, Happy Staff, Happy Doctor!