medical etiquette Archives - Professional Courtesy, LLC

Telemedicine Call Etiquette

June 10, 2020 by procourtesy

Telemedicine Call Etiquette

With the advent of Covid-19 telemed calls have increased dramatically and I don’t think they will go away after this pandemic subsides. The convenience and efficiency of virtual patient visits has become very appealing to many.

However, as in everything new that comes into our lives there are some guidelines to follow to make the calls come across as professional as possible. So, here are some tips:

Train staff members or anyone participating in video calls on the proper way to manage those calls. Never assume they automatically know how to do it. Training should be provided for phone calls and email communication with patients, as well.
Practice makes perfect. Some practice virtual calls may be necessary to get comfortable with the technology and all of the features.

Privacy is an important issue in healthcare and you want to make sure your communication is HIPAA compliant. If calls are being made from a provider’s home a head set or ear buds may be essential as well as, an area without distractions and ambient noise.
Create a professional looking background. Make sure the space is clean, quiet and free of distractions. Sitting at a desk or table is ideal.
Before a call, take a few minutes to do a quality control check with your equipment…video and voice, etc.
Make sure you have good lighting on your face. Too much back lighting without adequate face lighting can make you look like you’re in shadow.

Situate your computer so the camera is at eye level. If the camera is too low it will focus on your neck or only half your face. Do look into the camera and not at the screen. Looking into the camera gives the impression of good eye contact.
Dress appropriately. You should dress like you would if you were seeing the patient in the office. If you’re working from home don’t get too casual. This isn’t the time to show up in your pajamas.
Be punctual. It’s one thing to wait in a medical waiting room, but not on scheduled telemed calls.
Do your homework on the patient and familiarize yourself with their history and current complaints before getting on the call.
Use good communication skills… be pleasant and professional. Maintain good eye contact. If you have to look away from the screen let the patient know you are looking away to take notes, etc. Don’t try to multi-task while on the call.
Listen carefully and ask relative questions during the visit to keep the patient engaged.
Be prepared to switch to a phone call if either person’s technology fails. The provider should call the patient back so the patient doesn’t have to call and get put into a queue. ( Don’t forget to get the patient’s phone number when you start the call.)
Be clear with your final instructions to the patient. Encourage them to write things down as you are telling them your plan of action. When ending the call let the patient hang up first.
Educate your patients on how to get the most out of their telemed call. Encourage them to have a note pad and pen at their disposal and limit distractions and ambient noise. List and prioritize their complaints. And if needed have another family member on the call, especially with older people or someone who isn’t very tech savvy.

Holiday Gifting for Your Medical Staff

December 18, 2014 by procourtesy

medical doctor holding gifts in hands isolated on white

A Medical Manners Moment…

Holiday Gifting for Your Medical Staff

I am always disappointed when I hear health care workers in larger medical groups say that they don’t think their physicians even know their names. A sad commentary I think, since a physician’s staff has a lot to do with the over all patient experience. Also, it has been shown that the feeling of being valued in a job is very important to all of us. So, if health care workers feel they are invisible to their physicians they are certainly not feeling valued.

Since this is the holiday season, now, is the perfect time for physicians and administrative people to show their appreciation to their staff members.

Here are some ideas on how to do that:

Attend the office Christmas party. If you are the boss and you don’t attend the practice party, the message you are giving is one of indifference or that you don’t care about your staff.

Gift your staff. Offering a monetary bonus if it is in your budget, or a thoughtful gift, is always appreciated at the holiday time. Focus on the word thoughtful.

Acknowledge everyone. Get to know all the staff people, from the scheduler to the people in your billing department by name. There all no small jobs in any organization.

Feed your staff. If the size of your staff is small enough, take them out for lunch occasionally. If it is too large for that, order in.

Remember your staff all year long. You don’t have to wait until the holidays to show your appreciation. Consider doing something nice for your staff throughout the year. For instance, acknowledging birthdays is another way to make them feel special.

Reach Out and Touch Your Patients

December 4, 2013 by procourtesy

More and more, I hear business people say that they don’t like to touch people, shake hands or to be touched by others due to the risk of getting germs. This is a very sad commentary, as far as I am concerned. But even sadder, to me, was to hear nurses say they don’t like to touch their patients because they feel they are unclean or they don’t want to risk getting their germs.

While I appreciate not wanting to get someone’s germs that may cause an illness, I think to take the “no touch” approach with your patients is risky and very damaging to developing a mutually respectful relationship.

Nurses and physicians are certainly taught techniques on hand washing, maintaining sterile fields, dealing with patients who are infectious by using isolation procedures and various other ways to protect themselves and avoid spreading diseases to other people. So why the resistance to touch your patients?

I think it is multifaceted with some of it brought on by how high-tech medicine has become. Healthcare workers are now booting up their computers to enter data and the answers to the questions they ask their patients, often, before they even shake their hand or make eye contact with them. Physicians are now able to do every test imaginable to diagnose patients that it seems rather easy to forget about actually putting your hands on the patient. I have even had people tell me they received a complete physical without ever having taken any clothes off. This is unimaginable to me. If physicians aren’t actually looking at someone’s body, I would guess they are missing some things.

We know from studies that babies who are not touched fail to thrive and some, even die. The human touch is a big part of diagnosing and healing. Imagine the elderly patient who lives alone and has no one to hug them. Touching people and being touched is essential to life. We all seek touch from those we love. Why not make sure it is part of the equation when caring for patients.

So, here are some tips to ensure you make some sort of physical contact with your patients:

Upon entering a patient’s room in the hospital or the office exam room, extend your hand to meet them before you go to the computer to start asking questions.
If handshaking is not possible, touch the patient on the shoulder, or arm. This is a comforting gesture when consoling them or delivering bad news…something they will appreciate.

Spend a few moments talking directly to the patient. Note the color of their eyes to make sure you are making appropriate eye contact.
Introduce yourself and let them know what you do and who you are; nurse, tech, P.A., etc.
While entering data in your computer, look at the patient while asking the question and then look at the keyboard when entering their answers. Reassure the patient that you are listening to them.
Shake hands or extend another touch upon leaving the exam room. Your touch will be noted.

If you still don’t want to touch your patients, maybe you should reevaluate why you went into medicine. Compassion is important in caring for the sick.

And for those business people who don’t like to shake hands…to refuse to shake hands with someone is a huge insult. Shaking hands is the universally accepted way to touch others in almost, every country in the world. So, reach out and touch someone, then go use your antibacterial wipes

Calling Patients to the Exam Room Politely

November 14, 2013 by procourtesy

Calling Patients to the Exam Room Politely

I am often taken aback when I am in a physician’s office waiting area and hear the staff call back their patients to the exam rooms. Many times there is this abrupt voice that comes from a half opened door announcing loudly, HARRY! Nothing else is said and the poor patient gathers themselves up following the nurse or medical assistant down the hall to their designated exam room in silence…no smile, no warm greeting or introduction. Then, if you are lucky, you get to stop in the hall to get weighed on the community scale. One office that I was in recently, even took blood pressures in the hall before directing the patient to the actual exam room. Not too private, at a time when there is so much emphasis on HIPAA privacy guidelines.

I appreciate that practices may want to cut down on expenses by having one or two communal scales instead of one in every room, but getting weighed in public can be pretty humbling. Surely, there is a better way to do this. Gathering patient information should be done in the privacy of the exam room with a closed door, not in the hall leading to the exam rooms.

So, here are some suggestions on how to call a patient back to the exam room politely:

To assure you can be seen,walk out into the waiting area as close to the patient as possible to call them back.
Smile and greet the patient warmly.
Address the patient formally by Mr. Mrs. or Ms. (this is not a privacy violation)
Direct the patient as to what room they will be going to. For instance, “third door on the right or room 6.”
Don’t ask any medical questions in the hall where answers can be over heard by others.
Don’t weigh people in the hall unless the scales are set up for privacy. And take into consideration as to how coats, purses and other extra clothing will get in the way of an accurate weight.
Consider taking blood pressures in the exam room, only
To identify patients in the waiting area try having the receptionist put a sticky note on the front of the chart using some sort of identifying comment as to who is who. For instance, “red sweater or blue coat.” This then allows you to walk right up to the patient and let them know you are ready to take them back to the exam room.
Be prepared to assist older patients or patients who have limitations or obvious injuries back to the room by taking their coats or other personal items.
Once the patient is in the room, close the door and keep them apprised of their waiting time.
Keep conversations in the hall to a minimum so patients don’t over hear private or inappropriate information.

Trying all of these simple suggestions will leave a much better impression on your patients.

New Medicine, Same Manners, part II

May 19, 2010 by procourtesy

When my late husband and I were first married we lived in an apartment for a short time. The fact that he was a physician seemed to get around the building fairly quickly and led to frequent medical-related questions from other residents. I was used to people asking for his advice, in and out of the office. It seemed to be part of the job and he was always very gracious in responding.

However, the day a neighbor, whom we had never met, presented herself at our door in her bathrobe to get a diagnosis for her rash I felt a line had been crossed. Imagine my surprise when she opened her robe exposing a naked body! Not a pretty picture.
What’s the morale of the story? Be careful not to take advantage of people and their expertise. There is a time and place to seek medical advice from any physician or health care professional. Certainly, family members and good friends in the field can be a great asset in navigating the complexities of health care today and most are eager to help. However, there are some rules to be considered in and out of the office:
• Don’t turn a social event into an ongoing office call. Just because someone is in the heath care field doesn’t mean they are dying to hear about all of your aches and pains
• If you have an office appointment for yourself don’t bring the whole family and expect them to be seen in your time slot
• If you want to add an additional person, call and see if the physician’s schedule can handle it
• Many practices limit the number of complaints that can be addressed at one appointment. If you have multiple issues you may need another appointment or two.
• Bring your medication list with you at every visit
• If medications and/or dosages have changed, be sure to ask if the new medicine is replacing one you have been taking. This helps avoid double dosing.
• Be sure to introduce any friend and/or family member who may go with you to an office visit. Let the doctor know their relationship to you.

A little courtesy and understanding on the patients’ side is important and will be greatly appreciated by the physician and staff. I know…I was once an office nurse.
Please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences regarding this.

Telemedicine Call Etiquette

Holiday Gifting for Your Medical Staff

Reach Out and Touch Your Patients

Calling Patients to the Exam Room Politely

New Medicine, Same Manners, part II

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