Patient education is key.
As you begin your career, you will quickly learn how important it is to be an effective communicator with your patients, and unfortunately, how very difficult it can be.
Oftentimes, it is easy to think you are communicating clearly, but in reality, your patients might not really understand a word you are saying.
The same could be said for communicating with your staff.
We had an opportunity to chat with Harbir Sian, OD, Founder of Highstreet EyeCare Center at Vision Expo East 2017 where Dr. Sian revealed his top three patient education pearls for new grad ODs.
1) Give your patient as much information as possible
It is important not to bombard your patient, but you should attempt to give your patient an understanding of what is going on with his/her eyes. It will allow you to become a better communicator and patients genuinely appreciate that you care about the well being of their eyes.
2) Inform patients of what they don't have
Even if a patient doesn't have a disease condition like glaucoma or macular degeneration, chances are they have heard of it.
Simply explaining to them what those diseases are can go a long way in showing patients what you know and what you can manage and treat which can lead to word of mouth referrals down the road.
3) Speak to patients on a personal level
A great way to be a more effective communicator is to speak to patients as if you were speaking to a friend or parent.
You need to remember that most of your patients have absolutely no medical training and or knowledge so avoiding technical jargon will go a long way in ensuring patients understand the message you are attempting to convey.
Read more on how to be an effective communicator.
