Clinician Tip o' the Month - September 2024
Lately, I have found myself in the position where several of my patients have said, at the beginning of the visit, “like I was telling the person who brought me into the room,” referring to updates they had already given to the MA about their concerns and symptoms. However, I didn’t have any notes or verbal feedback from the MA about what the patient had shared.
In these situations, I tried to act as if the MA had already passed on the patient’s information to me. This felt awkward for reasons beyond the fact that I wasn’t selected for the school plays for a reason. The patient (understandably) assumed the MA and I had discussed their situation before I came in. What was more troubling for me is that I coach clinicians to prevent this scenario!
During my coaching training, I learned that there is a positive correlation between good communication within a healthcare team and the patient’s perception of care quality. I have been actively coaching clinicians regarding this valuable information. Yet, I found myself in a situation where communication between me and the MAs wasn’t meeting this basic but critical standard.
The fix, of course, was easy. I simply asked all of the MAs for an update on the patient’s progress and concerns prior to beginning the visit. And, if the MA might not be available at that moment, I requested that they take a moment to jot down a few quick remarks that the patient shared with them. (Several staff members in our clinic had already been doing that routinely.)
This allows me to begin all visits by saying, for example, “Christina said that your pain is a X/10, you’re benefitting from PT, and that you have questions about your MRI results. Have I got that right? Is there other information that you would like me to know?”
I’m much more at ease with this approach, and I know that it enhances the patient’s perception of the quality of the care they receive from our clinic. It’s also the type of experience that I want for my family and friends.