09/18/2015    

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT TIP OF OF THE DAY

Eleven Things to Never Say to Patients - Part 1

 

When patients present for care, it's common for emotions to run high. And given the incredibly vulnerable position these encounters often place patients in, it's not surprising for fear, worry, and apprehension to take center stage. Carefully selected wording on the part of physicians can help to calm these situations and prevent further patient discomfort. Here are 11 phrases best avoided during possibly delicate and intense physician-patient interactions.

 

1. "I Don't Know"

 

A patient may interpret this to mean that the physician lacks the necessary skills to properly care for him. In actuality, the physician may be expressing that the answer to the patient's health concerns is not yet known by medical science, and by proxy, the physician. 

 

Source: Steph Weber, Physicians Practice [7/7/15]