Do’s and don’ts for effective patient communication

We live in a world today where everyone has opinions on everything, and when you don’t agree, it can lead to conflict and bad feelings. One of the best techniques is to explain what you’re trying to communicate with examples. Using this technique can lead to clearer communication, better performance, and less frustration on the part of others.

What is the best way to communicate with another person? The answer is in “threes.” Select the top three items that need to be discussed and only focus on those three, repeating them over and over in different ways if necessary. This strategy works well in any conversation and especially well in difficult conversations. This way, you don’t get distracted or confuse the listener, and your points come across succinctly and clearly.

Don’t forget to keep it short. When communicating with patients, keep things short, simple, and succinct. Short because people have low attention spans today due to multitasking. Simple because they will tune out anything complex that they don’t really want to know. And succinct, because if you don’t organize the information in priority order from most important to least, they will not take it seriously.

Dr. Roger P. Levin is CEO of Levin Group, a leading practice management and marketing consulting firm. To contact him or to join the 40,000 dental professionals who receive his Practice Production Tip of the Day, visit LevinGroup.com or email [email protected].

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.