Liking Patients
Dr. JS likes his patients – Fantastic!
It is wonderful when we like our patients. Dealing with people you like makes the day much more enjoyable. It is certainly easier to go the extra mile for someone you like.
It is even easier when the patients like you too. This usually results in a pleasant visit. In these instances, the patient will often ask about you as a person and your family. Some of the discussion will be outside of medicine. This clearly further enhances rapport and helps strengthen the foundation for better care. Engaging Patients simply takes care of itself.
Love Your Patients
It’s great if you like your patients. But it is not vital. I have some family members I don’t particularly like. I do, however, love them. Not the kind of love that results in legal trouble, but the kind that recognizes the value of humanity.
We need to show our patients love. If we love our patients, we will always do what we truly believe is in their best interest. If we show patients love and respect, it will likely (but not necessarily) be reciprocated. It doesn’t have to be.
Loving someone does not mean that you always do what that person wants. It certainly doesn’t mean that you will always make them happy. It does, however, mean that you care about them and will try your best to care for them.
Some individuals can be difficult to love. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t care about them. The doctor patient relationship can be easy or quite challenging-just as with any other relationship. Throughout the process of providing care we should treat the patient the way we would want our own closest family member treated. Use your Emotional Intelligence to Engage Patients.
Good Days and Bad
We all have good days and bad days. Doctors, nurses, front office staff, patients. Unfortunately, sometimes that bad day comes on the first visit. This can result in a rocky start to a relationship. Always keep this in mind. Regardless of the situation or the individual, try to make your decisions as though you are doing so for a close member of your family.
Obviously, this doesn’t mean that you need to start treating your family members. It simply means that you shouldn’t take care of people in a way you wouldn’t want someone to care for your family.
Tough Love
Loving your patients doesn’t mean doing everything that they want. In some cases, loving them means doing things that are difficult. It can mean refusing to prescribe a medicine that they want. It might mean referring them to a counselor. In some extreme cases, it might even mean that you have to end the doctor-patient relationship. Even in this situation, make sure that you do so with love and provide a pathway to care for that individual.
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