Patient Care and the Importance of Doctor/Patient Relationships

One of the foundations of clinical care is the doctor-patient relationship. Developing a positive, trusting bond with patients enables you to form more accurate diagnoses and treatment plans. It also has a significant impact on patient care and overall patient health outcomes.
A positive experience with their doctor encourages patients to be more active in their healing process. When patients trust their doctors, they experience less anxiety and comprehend medical information more readily. They are also more likely to disclose information relevant to their condition. This allows for better diagnostics and offers the opportunity for a collaborative approach to recovery.
However, trust is just one aspect of the doctor-patient relationship. Many other factors influence the relationship between doctors and their patents, which can impact the quality of patient care.
5 Factors that Influence Doctor-Patient Relationships
1 Communication
Effective communication is the key to any successful doctor-patient relationship. When there is miscommunication between a doctor and their patient, this can have serious negative consequences. These include mismanaging treatment expectations, causing the patient to feel frustrated, and failure to adhere to treatment protocols.
An excellent place to begin when forming doctor-patient relationships is personalizing your communication. Remembering small details about your patients’ lives beyond their illness makes them feel understood.
2. Trust
Patients need to trust doctors with their health, and in some cases, their lives. Doctors need to trust patients to be forthcoming with critical medical information, and to follow medical protocols to facilitate healing. However, trust in a doctor-patient relationship is hard to build and can be damaged easily if patients are not treated with dignity.
3. Respect
When patients are seeking help for a medical condition, they are placed in a vulnerable position. This can often make them feel embarrassed or anxious. Being treated impersonally or being rushed through exams and tests may feel disrespectful. Patients may also ash out when under stress or try to compensate for their feelings of helplessness by self-diagnosing.
The doctor’s response to these situations can have an impact on the relationship with their patients. Dismissing beliefs or emotions shows a lack of respect for your patient and can make them less willing to cooperate and collaborate on health goals.
4. Workload
With the rising cost of medical bills, medical professionals are feeling pressured to receive or visit more patients within a single shift. This increased workload and the time constraints it imposes increases doctor stress levels, causing them to appear less approachable to patients.
5. Time
Workload and time are inextricably linked. The greater a doctor’s workload, the less time they can spend with each patient. Limiting the time spent with patients can lead to rushing through examinations and potentially overlooking crucial medical information or data that could improve patient care and recovery.
4 Ways to Strengthen Doctor-Patient Relationships
1. Be Patient
Patience is an integral part of a successful doctor-patient relationship. When patients feel anxious and stressed, keep calm, and understand, it takes time for a patient to accept the nature of their condition.
2. Be Mindful
Mindfulness is simply being aware of yourself and others. In a medical setting, this can mean being aware of how your body language sends subtle messages to patients about your level of engagement and how much value you place on your doctor-patient relationship. Fidgeting, crossing your legs, or somber facial expressions can make you appear unapproachable.
Use mindfulness techniques to help you focus on your patients and encourage better verbal and non-verbal communication. Mindfulness is also an excellent way to manage work stress. When you are less stressed, you will perform better and improve patient care.
3. Listen Actively
As a doctor, it is vital to listen to your patients. In addition to gaining valuable insights into your patients’ condition, active listening also enables you to infer information they are not offering, which can also impact your patient care plan. Listening without interruption also encourages trust because patients feel you empathize with their situation.
Try active listening techniques like paraphrasing what your patients are saying and repeating it back to them to clarify their point. Label their emotions and validate their concerns by responding with sincerity and empathy.
4. Focus on Quality Interactions
Unfortunately, there are only so many hours in the workday, and you may struggle to find the time for extended, in-depth consultations with patients. However, this means that it is even more important to have quality patient interactions.
A quality interaction involves dedicating 100% of the time you have with a patient to their needs. This can be achieved through effective time management, active listening techniques, and giving the patient your undivided attention.
The Wrap UpA strong doctor-patient relationship has positive implications for improving patient care. You can enhance your relationship with your patients by making some simple changes to the way you approach communicating with patients and managing your actions and reactions.
Article shared from MEDIjobs
Learn more:
Honor HealthCare Heroes – National IV Nurse Day
INS celebrates IV Nurse Day each year on January 25th, to recognize the decades of continuing education, advocacy, and professional development that have driven the…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Enroll Now in our Phlebotomy Tech Program
Have you been dreaming about a career working in healthcare? Sumner College Arizona can get you there with classes in Phlebotomy Tech, Medical Assisting and…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
2023 Nurse Appreciation Calendar
Enjoy The DiversityNursing.com, 2023 Nurse Appreciation Calendar and remember to honor our healthcare heroes for their dedication to our health and work in our world.…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Honor our HealthCare Heroes – National CRNA Week
A Celebration of CRNAs Since 2000, National CRNA Week has been our annual celebration of the nearly 59,000 practicing nurse anesthetists in the U.S. From…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Laboratory Phlebotomist Projected Growth in the US
Research Summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that: Salaries have increased 11% for laboratory phlebotomists in the last 5 years…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Mobile IV Nursing Is Trending Due to Earning Potential
Mobile IV nursing is growing and offers nurses the opportunity for higher pay and a flexible schedule. Explore this popular career. Mobile intravenous (IV) nurses…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
How You Can Set SMART Goals for 2023
Did you know 91% of people don't reach their New Year's goals? Dive into how SMART goals for nurses may increase your potential success. SMART…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
How the Improving Care and Access to Nurses (I CAN) Act Impacts Nurses
The Improving Care and Access to Nurses legislation significantly impacts nurses and their patients. Consider seven ways to advocate for improved access to care. The…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Dream It. Do It.
If healthcare is your passion, and a career in the field is your dream, it is time to look at Sumner College. 2023 nursing classes…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Happy New Year!
Make way for 2023!…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
The Future of Oregon’s Nursing Workforce: Analysis and Recommendations
The Oregon Center for Nursing recently published "The Future of Oregon's Nursing Workforce: Analysis and Recommendations The Oregon Legislature directed the Oregon Health Care Workforce…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Happy Holidays from Sumner College
…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
What’s the work environment for a Phlebotomy Tech?
Phlebotomists work mainly in hospitals, medical and diagnostic laboratories, and doctor’s offices. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Phlebotomists held about 135,500 jobs…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Holiday Break – December 19 to January 2nd
There will be no classes at Sumner College during Holiday Break - December 19th thru January 2nd.…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Expert Simulation Educators Across Oregon – OCN
Sumner College's Simulation Lab provides a comprehensive learning experience for our students. As nursing education and professional development needs evolve, schools and healthcare systems are…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
2022 Holiday Greetings
Sumner College President, Joanna Russell, shares a big announcement for our nursing school happening in April 2023 and wishes a warm holiday greeting to all…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Finding balance around the holidays
The holiday season can be a stressful time. For years, I allowed this time of year to completely take over my mind and wellbeing because…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
It’s a good time to pursue a career in healthcare. Joanna Russell and Nicole DeCosta discuss nursing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GQA8dkHbFc…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
RN Well-Being Project
The well-being of all licensed LPNs, RNs, and APRNs, as well as their certified and unlicensed support staff, is essential to Oregon's health [Article shared…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Oregon Facing Nurse Shortage by 2025
With demand for registered nurses in Oregon continuing to grow, Oregon is facing a nursing shortage by 2025, according to The Demand for Nursing Professionals…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Occupational Outlook Handbook – Phlebotomists
Sumner College's Phlebotomy Tech classes are held in Mesa, Arizona Next classes start in January 2023 Quick Facts: Phlebotomists 2021 Median Pay $37,380 per year…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Professional Nursing Organizations
There are more than 100 different national and international nursing organizations, many of which have chapters in Oregon. You may want to consider the benefits…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
How a nurse is improving health equity with a touch of a button
This article is shared from Johnson+Johnson's Nursing website. LINK Watch a special TODAY show segment featuring nurse innovator Bre Loughlin, MS, RN This segment features…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Now Hiring – Assistant to the President
Sumner College is accepting applications for the position of Assistant to the President. Visit the Careers at Sumner page for details on the position and…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Now Hiring – General Education/ Science Instructor
Sumner College is accepting applications for a general education/science instructor position that is part time and hybrid. Job Description - General Education/Science Instructor - Part…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Bringing Well-Being into the Workplace
For healthcare to work, it takes a thriving nurse workforce. From nurse-led solutions to evidence-backed guidelines, innovation in workplace well-being isn't just possible, it's happening.…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Thanksgiving Memorable Recipes from Sumner College’s Team
Thanksgiving is a time to show gratitude for friends, family and business associates. This year, the Sumner College team is sharing a few delicious, must-have,…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Why Phlebotomy is a Good Career
Entering this field as a phlebotomist offers one of the fastest entry routes and is one of the few positions that does not require a bachelor's…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
5 Ways to Reduce Test Stress
Article shared fro GreatSchools.org Does your child get stressed about taking standardized tests? Follow this checklist to help ease their worries. In many states children…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
# Hiring – Accreditation and Compliance Officer – Remote
Sumner College has been educating leaders in workforce for almost 50 years in the Portland metro area. Join a team that is passionate about educating…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn