How to Handle Medical Office Communication Issues

A medical office can be a stressful place. Patients and doctors both have many needs to be met. Often patients are in poor health and not on their best behavior, so communication problems arise. Miscommunication also can cause problems between staff members. How you handle communication issues can help make the medical office less stressful and more productive.

Instructions

• 1

  Listen carefully. When a patient or staff member is upset and directing it at you, it can be difficult to stay calm and listen. Yet, in a medical setting, listening is extremely critical because people's health and well-being are at stake. Listen for the facts and feelings being expressed. Write down the facts to document the problem, and acknowledge the feelings. Responding with a statement such as, "It seems that not hearing from our office made you feel as if we did not care about your health" lets the patient know his feelings are being acknowledged. Also, pause and ask yourself, "If this were someone in my family dealing with a medical professional, would she feel respected and understood?"

• 2

  Set boundaries for acceptable behavior. Just because a doctor has education and experience does not mean he has the right to treat a staff member disrespectfully. Whether you are dealing with an irate patient or an angry doctor, you will need to set boundaries. Clearly explain behaviors that you will not tolerate. For example, "I cannot take care of the problem while you are yelling at me. Speak in a softer voice, and I will be able to assist you." If this does not alter the behavior, you may need to walk away from the person and go get your supervisor to assist you.

• 3

  Accept responsibility, and take action. A patient who is upset about receiving the wrong list of medications has a right to be upset if your office made a mistake. It may not have been your error, but don't be defensive. Be professional, and acknowledge that the mistake happened. For example, "It appears that our office did make a mistake. Let me address this right away if you can give me a moment." Then follow through and address the problem. Communication issues rarely improve without some action to resolve them. Tell the person exactly what you plan to do to fix the mistake and in what time frame.

• 4

  Offer solutions. Suppose you and a coworker do not agree on how to handle a situation. Make a list of possible solutions and share them with the other person, or with the whole office during a staff meeting. Focusing on a solution shows others in the medical office that you want to get past the miscommunication and work together productively. For patients, scheduling a longer appointment to go over concerns with the doctor may be a good solution.