Resource Centers:(News, information, and tools to support your practice)
November 2007
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Help your patients ask better questions
Ask, and they shall receive
Help your patients ask better questions
By Mark Sanna, DC
Do you have any questions?” you ask. Your patient shakes his head “no,” and you assume this response means you did a great job communicating.
However, what the head shake may really mean is your patient is politely attempting to let you know how confused he is.
Asking their chiropractor questions is one of the most difficult tasks patients face. For patients to ask, they must be fluent in chiropractic vocabulary, have a basic understanding of how their body works, and have enough confidence to speak up.
BETTER HEALTH DECISIONS
Information about healthcare can be challenging for anyone to understand, regardless of education or literacy level, and asking questions is not something that comes easily to most people. Many patients hesitate to ask questions for concern they might take up the doctor’s time.
Studies have shown patients (including doctors when they become patients themselves) become anxious about asking questions that might make them appear stupid. When patients are anxious about the answers to their questions or frightened about their diagnosis, they become even more reluctant and unwilling to speak up.
When patients feel free to communicate openly, comfortably, and assertively, they make better health decisions and stay well.
The key to helping your patients get the most out of their visits and reducing their anxiety about asking questions is preparation.
PREPPING HELPS PATIENTS
A recent review of 33 studies performed by The Cochrane Collaboration found that providing patients with “question-prompt sheets” or quick, in-office coaching sessions immediately prior to meeting with the doctor helped patients polish their question-asking skills.
When prepared in this manner, patients asked their healthcare providers more questions and obtained more useful information. This resulted in an increase in patient satisfaction and a reduction in patient anxiety before and after visits. When your patients feel involved and informed, they are more likely to do what they need to do to follow your recommendations for care.
A quick, in-office coaching session with a staff member immediately prior to meeting with you helps patients voice and rehearse their concerns. Coaching provides the reassurance patients need to ask questions.
Resources Want more information on improving communication with your patients? Go to: • Ask Me 3, www.askmethree.org |
While you and your practice teammates may feel comfortable in your office setting, remember it can be frightening, and at times overwhelming, to a new patient. Begin the coaching session by having the staff member introduce themselves to the patient by saying, “This appointment is for you. It is a time to get all your questions answered.” Make new patients feel more at ease by letting them know they can ask the doctor any question they want. Tell patients there are no “bad” (a better word than “stupid”) questions.
The Partnership for Clear Health Communication and its “Ask Me 3” initiative recommends empowering patients by providing them with three simple questions to ask when they see the doctor.
The “Ask Me 3” questions are:
• What is my main problem?
• What do I
Coaching your patients to use the “Ask Me 3” technique is a quick and effective way to help improve communication. Preparing patients with the “Ask Me 3” questions has been shown to add structure to doctor-patient communication, increase patient satisfaction with each visit, decrease the number of missed visits, and does not add significant time to the length of patient visits.
PREPARE COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Even with coaching, some patients may be reluctant to ask questions. You can take the initiative to improve communication with them.
Prepare a list of questions patients commonly ask during their initial visit. Then, when a patient says he has no questions, review the list by saying, “I’ve found that many of our patients have similar questions on their first visit, so I’ve written them down. May I take a moment and review them with you?”
This procedure opens a dialogue about important health information and also models good question-asking behavior.
Similarly, a list of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) can be helpful in printed materials. However, written questions alone are not sufficient.
Handing a patient a brochure of FAQs without reviewing them is ineffective and results in many brochures being thrown away unread.
It is important for you to review the information together, rather than speak to the patient and then, when finished, handing him a brochure.
ENCOURAGE WRITTEN QUESTIONS
You can also improve communication by asking your patients to write their questions ahead of time. This can be done by placing pens and paper in your reception room, providing space for questions on your intake paperwork, and posting sample questions on your Web site.
This procedure helps patients get the information they seek by noting concerns in advance. Encouraging patients to bring a family member or friend to their appointment is also helpful. The second person is present to not only ask questions, but to help remember the answers you provide as well.
The healthcare blog, “The Patient’s Doctor,” suggests patients make the most of their doctor’s visit by writing a short summary of the “story” of their condition before seeing the doctor.
You can instruct patients, “Let it read like a story and don’t worry about using technical terms — just tell your story in your own words. It’s simple — just use the following statements to guide you. They’ll help ensure you don’t forget anything important.”
Suggested statements include:
• I am worried about...
• I was last completely well...
• The problem started on...
• It gets better when...
• It gets worse when...
• I have tried the following remedies...
The increase of managed care has imposed time constraints on doctor-patient interaction. Considering these factors, it’s more important than ever for you and your practice team to develop a consistent and effective communication style that promotes rapid rapport and empathy with your patients. One of the most important predictors of patient compliance is trust in the doctor — and that begins with communication.
Mark Sanna, DC, ACRB Level II, FICC, is the president of Breakthrough Coaching. He can be reached at 800-ADVICE (723-8423), by e-mail at info@mybreakthrough.com, or through the Web site, www.mybreakthrough.com.
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