By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    stress management for healthcare workers
    3 Tips For Healthcare Professionals: How To Stay Beautiful, Healthy, and Happy
    November 2, 2021
    importance of relaxing on the weekend for your health
    Importance of Relaxing During the Weekend for Optimal Health
    March 25, 2022
    LASIK Eye Surgery
    What Is LASIK Eye Surgery?
    May 16, 2022
    Latest News
    How to Combat Home Sickness After Moving Abroad
    March 19, 2023
    4 Ways to Recover from a Broken Hip
    March 14, 2023
    What Are Dietary Supplements: Purpose, Benefits, & Facts
    March 15, 2023
    5 Benefits of Receiving Acupuncture Regularly
    March 9, 2023
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    genetically modified crops
    Genetically Modified Crops: Feast or Famine?
    April 4, 2013
    Driving Demand for Vaccinations
    July 7, 2011
    Social Media for Healthin30 Smartphone ID-100143656
    8 Ways to Avoid Ethical Pitfalls in Social Media – Part One
    April 26, 2013
    Latest News
    3 Ways to Improve the U.S. Healthcare System By 2030
    March 14, 2023
    6 Steps To Ensure Speed And Efficiency Of Clinical Studies
    March 14, 2023
    5 Most Valuable Healthcare Programs in 2023
    March 8, 2023
    The Everest Foundation’s Mission to Support Inclusive Healthcare
    February 24, 2023
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: 7 Ways to Prepare Your Staff for Better Patient Interactions
Share
Sign In
Notification Show More
Latest News
mental health tips
Caring for Your Mental Health Should Be a Top Priority
Mental Health
combat home sickness
How to Combat Home Sickness After Moving Abroad
Health News
depression signs
Early Signs of Depression that You Shouldn’t Ignore
Mental Health
positive mental health
How to Build a Positive Mental Health Environment
Mental Health
broken hip recovery
4 Ways to Recover from a Broken Hip
Health
Aa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Aa
Search
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Hospital Administration > 7 Ways to Prepare Your Staff for Better Patient Interactions
Hospital Administration

7 Ways to Prepare Your Staff for Better Patient Interactions

jennacyprus
Last updated: 2021/02/05 at 9:01 AM
jennacyprus
Share
6 Min Read
7 Ways to Prepare Your Staff for Better Patient Interactions
SHARE

Most hospital administrators find themselves spending most of their time reviewing internal policies and procedures, investing in new technologies, and changing operations to improve capacity and profitability. But there?s one key element of successful healthcare organizations that many administrators overlook: patient interactions and satisfaction. But why is this so important, and how can you improve outcomes among your staff members?

Contents
Why Patient Interactions MatterTips for Better Interaction Training

Why Patient Interactions Matter

Patient interactions matter because they have a direct bearing on patient satisfaction, which in turn plays a role in three major areas:

  • Clinical outcomes. Happy patients are more likely to follow your advice, and see positive outcomes from their visits.
  • Patient retention. Satisfied patients will likely stick with your organization, rather than seeking help elsewhere.
  • Malpractice claims. Patients who associate your organization with positive feelings and experiences are much less likely to file for malpractice.

Tips for Better Interaction Training

So what can you do to improve training for your staff to maximize patient interaction value?

  1. Consider using standardized patients. First, consider using standardized patients as a kind of training ground (and evaluative process) for your staff members. For newcomers, standardized patients serve as an exercise in both diagnosis and bedside manner, and for experienced professionals, they serve as a kind of ?secret shopper? for the industry. These insider patients are trained to behave like real patients, with lifelike symptoms, but will be able to calmly evaluate the interactions they receive and give feedback based on those experiences.
  2. Prepare for a variety of scenarios. Next, make sure to have differentiated training in place, as not all patients require the same type and level of interaction. Someone who was just in a car accident, for example, will be especially distressed compared to someone who?s been dealing with a low level of chronic pain for the past several weeks. Older patients require different care than younger patients, and your staff should be equipped to deal with people in many different emotional states.
  3. Include multiple interactions every visit. There are many roles in your organization, including doctors, nurses, and dozens of support-related positions. If you focus only on your doctors, or only on your nurses, you?re going to miss out on several impactful opportunities for interaction. Your staff should be trained to provide experiences at multiple levels, and in multiple ways; everyone in the building should be equipped with patient service skills.
  4. Work on building long-term patient relationships. Your best patients are going to be ones that you have a history with, so train your staff to focus on building long-term relationships. This is hard to train for, but relatively easy to execute; simple touches, like having personal conversations, and spending a few extra minutes taking and answering questions can make a big difference to a patient. If they feel heard, respected, and valued, they?re going to be far more likely to keep returning, and your patient relationships will build themselves.
  5. Allow more patient control. Focus groups indicate that patients are more satisfied when they feel they have at least some control over their environments. Accordingly, you can train your staff and adjust your environments to allow for more patient control. This includes anything from giving patients more options (such as choosing which waiting room to use) to giving patients more environmental controls.
  6. Consider offering multiple types of brand experience. You can remove some of the burdens on your staff members by offering brand experiences that exist outside of your main building. For example, you could have a thriving social media presence that engages with your patients on a regular basis, or a content campaign committed to providing more information to your customer base. You could even have a separate hotline or method of communication for patients who need answers to quick questions, or who otherwise want an interaction without scheduling a full appointment.
  7. Collect and review patient feedback. These strategies all help prepare your staff for better interactions, but there?s only one way to tell for sure whether those strategies are working: collecting and reviewing patient feedback. Make sure to use surveys and other modes of gathering information at multiple stages of the process, and pay attention to subjective comments left by your patients. A thorough review should be able to illuminate not only how you?re improving over time, but which areas specifically require more improvement (and possibly, how to go about improving them).

These key strategies will help you improve the execution, monitoring, and measuring of your staff?s patient interactions. Whether you set this up as an initiative for new hires, or apply it as additional training for your existing team, you should see positive effects within weeks to months of your rollout.

More Read

saving money in healthcare

Best Money-Saving Tips for Health Managers

HR Must Navigate Polarizing Views in Healthcare Workplaces
Should Hospitals Use SASE or Traditional Network Security?
Maximizing Outcomes Through Effective Patient Engagement Strategies
Robotic Technologies Can Improve Hospital Working Conditions
TAGGED: engaged patient care, patient interaction

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
jennacyprus November 3, 2017
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link Print
Share
Previous Article How Technology Can Aid Independence in Seniors Life
Next Article The Benefits of Memory Foam Mattresses

Stay Connected

1.5k Followers Like
4.5k Followers Follow
2.8k Followers Pin
136k Subscribers Subscribe

Latest News

mental health tips
Caring for Your Mental Health Should Be a Top Priority
Mental Health March 19, 2023
combat home sickness
How to Combat Home Sickness After Moving Abroad
Health News March 19, 2023
depression signs
Early Signs of Depression that You Shouldn’t Ignore
Mental Health March 19, 2023
positive mental health
How to Build a Positive Mental Health Environment
Mental Health March 15, 2023

You Might also Like

medical call centers benefits
Wellness

Best Practices for Healthcare Call Centers Should Follow in 2023

February 16, 2023
employee's wellness
Health

How Hospitals and Other Healthcare Providers Can Boost Employee Morale

February 13, 2023
BusinessHospital Administration

What are the Benefits of Hospitals and Clinics Using Expense Management Services?

February 13, 2023
healthcare workers with gloves
Hospital Administration

Tips to Keep Health Workers Safe in the Workplace

February 8, 2023
//

We influence million of users and is the most authentic source of information on healthcare business and technology news.

Quick Links

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

Follow US

© 2008-2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.

Removed from reading list

Undo
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?