A new, elderly, arthritic patient walks into your office. You are missing paperwork from her — some from her referring physician and some you need her to complete. The patient is clearly nervous, rattled and upset because she thinks she has done everything that was needed. Do you hand her a pen, slide the window shut and go about your work? Or do you offer to help her call the referring Dr.‘s office? Do you ask if she needs to use a phone? When you see her arthritic hand fumbling with the pen, do you offer to help her? Do you care?
Another elderly patient walks into your office for a routine diabetes visit. You check her vitals, and her blood pressure is clearly elevated. Do you explain it away, move on with the exam and send her on her way? Or do you monitor her for a bit and then see if it goes down? Do you offer to call a family member to come be with her? Do you care?
Patient satisfaction is perhaps more important than ever before thanks to new healthcare reforms and payment systems. Every day you have the opportunity to just do your job or to stand out and really care. I think about the after-hours urgent care physician who takes the time to call all of his patients the next day to see if they are feeling better. Or the pediatrician who notices that in addition to the little boy he is examining, mom or big sister looks or sounds bad and also needs medical attention. Or the orthopaedist who takes the time to ask about and listen to his young patient’s athletic dreams and training, and works with her on a compromise treatment plan that allows her to heal while still being able to play the game she loves.
Caring. It is no longer just a choice. It is necessary for success and some would argue, mere survival in the new medical marketplace. Do you really care?