Rudeness and inappropriate behavior
Complaints in this category range from your receptionist’s rudeness to the patient’s reception, till an inappropriate behavior by the physician himself.
A patient is also annoyed when he or she listens to various gossip conversations between staff while in the office.
Other circumstances deemed rude by patients include:
The long wait for each appointment, feeling that they weren’t being listened to by a distracted doctor, and the frequent interruptions of a phone call or frequent entrance of others to the exam room during the examination (colleagues, assistants, secretaries, etc.), for other patients or for other matters of operation.
It is understandable that patients can misinterpret certain events, especially when they are in a delicate state and they’re concerned about their health.
And while a doctor’s attention may be on the computer screen, the patient longs for an eye contact.
And patients can easily take the slightest hint of brusqueness in a doctor’s voice as exasperation.
Preventing these perceptions can be as simple as taking a moment for an attitude adjustment between patients.
On a more general scale, practices may want to develop a set of guiding principles with all employees, making sure those standards include injecting an element of kindness and compassion into every patient interaction.
This applies to all departments, from reception to billing.
Rushing
Patients are frustrated when they are not allowed what they consider to be sufficient time to talk fully with a physician about their symptoms, results, treatments, medications, diagnoses and plans.
It is clear that they do not like a rush examination.
While most people understand that doctors often deal with emergencies and unexpected examinations, they feel they need to be informed if there is a delay.
This timely update allows them to change their plans accordingly, because their time is valuable too.
A big part of this problem lies in unrealistic scheduling of appointments.
Depending on the medical specialty and of course the physician, the time of visit varies from doctor to doctor, as well as the daily number of visits.
If a doctor can properly control his or her daily schedule, he or she will be in the habit of having a smooth flow of appointments.
Brainstorm with staff about ways to educate patients as to what they can expect during their appointments.
Instruct receptionists or booking clerks to explain to patients how long they’ll have for their visit.
If, for example, the practice’s policy is to deal with only one concern per visit, make that clear.
Reproach
Some patients say they’ve been made to feel that they’re to blame for their medical conditions.
And let’s face it, that’s often the case. But they don’t appreciate being scolded or talked down to.
What they’d rather have is understanding, support, and advice, which can be challenging when the practice is seeing the same people with the same problem repeatedly.
A lot of people are scared and intimidated when they visit a doctor.
The last thing they need is to feel belittled, too.
They often complain about the loss of ethics in the medical profession, up to a lack of transparency in healthcare in general.
And while things are not always the case, it is wise to consider them as examples of significant problems in everyday medical practice.
The conclusion is:
Patients want patience as much as doctors. Above all is respect for the patient!
