4 reasons to improve your patient communication

It's a bit tortuous to listen to some dental professionals talk to patients. Before dental school, I took a lot of English and communication courses. And I find the meme that states, "I am silently correcting your grammar" to be apt. Yes, that's me sometimes, and I am not perfect; I am sure others silently correct my grammar at times, too.

4 reasons to communicate better

Writing is a work in progress, and I have to do it often to get better at it. I make the errors, get feedback, and learn. Communication skills are no different. It takes work to get better at communicating, and here are four reasons why I think we should all work on it.

1. It's a judgmental world

Lisa Knowles, DDS.

I am working on helping to change that with my mindfulness-based stress-reduction lectures, but until everyone embraces this concept, we have to live with judgment. I still struggle.

Try as I might, as soon as I hear the word "seen" instead of "saw," I think, "That poor kid never learned the differences between verb tenses." From there, it's downhill. My mind jumps to conclusions about the capabilities and intelligence of this person. It's not fair. It's not even right. And, I work on it constantly -- to not judge that is. But, it happens so fast, almost unconsciously, and that is why we must work to say things in certain ways and also to be less judgmental.

2. Our patients

Our patients have varied intelligences and preferences. I live in a college town, full of university professors. These are my patients. They probably took a lot of courses on research and writing and perhaps even a public speaking class. They interact on higher levels of thought in their professional lives and become accustomed to hearing correct grammar. Most of them prefer formal punctuation.

On the other end of the spectrum, I see 14-year-olds with no grammar or punctuation within their texts and emails; their messages flow with new ways of communicating, including emojis and slang.

We have to be flexible with the varied levels of communication preferences within our patient base. On a professional basis, we must always use our professional grammar. It's kind of like our best manners when in mixed company, until we know our patients and understand their desires, as we want complete strangers to think highly of our offices and the people working within the walls of the offices. Therefore, professional language has to be the common speak of a professional setting. We get one chance to make a great first impression.

3. Patients want an expert

If I go to a physician, and someone has a difficult time explaining the procedure I am about to have, I lose faith in his or her ability to actually do the procedure. The doctor may be able to perform the procedure with total ease, but if she struggles with the words and explanations of what to do during or after the procedure, I sense a lack of confidence or a lack of focus. That translates into a lack of expertise, and as a nervous patient, I might look for an escape route and be less at ease during the procedure.

This may be totally wrong. The doctor could be technically amazing, but I may not understand her technical ability if the communication is strained.

When it comes to dentistry, I believe people are even less forgiving. As an example, I may tolerate a world-class cardiologist's inability to communicate what he or she is doing, but I expect more from my dentist. I may have a relationship with my dentist for my entire life, and I am awake when most procedures are completed -- unlike most heart surgeries. It's different and, therefore, as dental professionals, we have to be good technically, and we have to be good communicators.

4. Readers are leaders

Leaders keep up with the times. Or, this is what patients think. If you do not speak with some current communication connection to the outside world, as a patient, I may think you have completely shut down from current resources as well. Do I want to hear about your dislike for texting and how it is going to ruin the world? No! (Unless, of course, I am a patient complaining first.) I want to know that you do text and you understand the novelty and efficiency of texting.

If I hear you complain about current trends, and if your reception area looks like the cover shot of a 1970's Better Homes and Gardens magazine, then I am worried. I am worried that you do not believe in keeping up with the best way to deliver care and the best technology.

All of these small things communicate large things to patients. By reading articles and journals, we learn about the latest trends and latest offerings. This helps us communicate our abilities to patients. This does not mean we have to be trendy and purchase every new gadget on the market. It means we have to find a balance and communicate with our patients according to their interests and desires.

If communication training is not high on your list, please reconsider. Communication is the backbone of any office. It matters what is said and how it is said. As doctors, we often forget that people come to see us because they like us, not always because of what we can do with our hands, but because of what we can help them feel in their hearts. Building our communication skills is part of that lifelong learning activity that pays off again and again. Without any feedback about how we communicate, we often miss opportunities to engage and keep our patients. This is costly.

If it's time to work on your communication skills, even if you or your team does not want to, you will not be sorry for taking the time to improve your office's work environment -- and your patients will thank you for it later.

Maybe in the future we will judge others less critically. Until then, we are consciously and unconsciously being judged by how we communicate. Let's give patients a reason to give us a positive verdict and work on the way we use our mouths as much as we work on the way we use our hands.

Lisa Knowles, DDS, is the founder and CEO of IntentionalDental Consulting. For more information, contact her at [email protected] or 517-331-3688. Visit her blog site at Beyond32Teeth.com or website at IntentionalDental.com.

The comments and observations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DrBicuspid.com, nor should they be construed as an endorsement or admonishment of any particular idea, vendor, or organization.