8/14/2019 Getting Your Message Across III

1/3

8/14/2019 Getting Your Message Across III

2/3

PRACTICE INFORMATION RESOURCE

www.AquareshScienceAcademy.com

Taking account o the dierent waysin which people learn and acquireinormation is also important (reer to thearticle What makes your patient tick?ormore inormation on this).

One model that is requently used incounselling summarises the processdescribed here as: Attend, Ask, Listen,Empathise and Reassure.

Attend...

Attending reers to the ways in which youcan create an environment o attentionand interest. When using this skilleectively it prepares you or listeningattentively and it conveys to your patientsthat you are with them and interested.Humans instinctively use body languagewhen communicating and these, otensubtle, non-verbal movements play acritical role when attending to your patientand increasing their level o comort.

Ask...

Do you understand what your patientwants or have you made assumptions?Asking and inviting questions is anessential step to help unravel what your

patient really wants or needs especiallyas they may not know themselves! Allowyour patient plenty o time to speak. Themore you listen, the more you will learnabout them. I you are listening actively,you will have picked up any uncertainty,nervousness or reluctance and can exploreand address any concerns.

Sales coach Ashley Latter (Latter, 005)believes the biggest mistake dentistsmake is not spending enough quality timebuilding relationships with their patientsand fnding out what they want. By asking

the right questions, you can fnd out whatis important to your patient and what hisor her treatment goals are. For example:

Are they happy with the appearance

of their teeth?

How do they rate their satisfaction

on a scale of 1 to 10?

What improvements would they like

to see?

How important is it?

Appointment times are short but bysetting aside enough time to talk toyour patient by asking questions andlistening attentively to their agenda, youcan inuence their treatment decisions

and improve acceptance o, and patientownership o, treatment plans.

Listen...

When listening to your patients, developthe ability to capture their messageswhether verbal or non-verbal, clearor vague. Start by being ully presentpsychologically, socially and emotionally(attending) so you can observe andread the patients non-verbal behaviour

(posture, acial expression, movement,voice quality), tone o voice, pitch andwhere they use pauses etc. Listen to and

mkg bdy lgge

wrk fr y

Controlling your body language isnot straightorward, so to help try toremember the acronym SOLER(Egan, 1990).

Face them Squarely: try to keep yourshoulders parallel to your patient asturning your body away can lessenthe degree o contact and mayshow disinterest.

Adopt an Open posture: or examplestanding with your arms oldedacross your chest may look deensiveand implies that you want to be letalone (although when you are seatedcrossed arms can suggest empathy).

Lean towards them: a slightinclination o the upper body

toward your patient tells them: Iminterested in what you have to say.

Maintain good Eye contact: thissuggests honesty and sincerityalthough intense eye contact can putyour patient o. In practice, this maymean avoiding the temptation towrite your notes at the same time astalking/listening to your patient.

Be Relaxed: a relaxed, calm approachwill help the patient eel comortablewhile nervous dgeting or distractingacial expressions will not put themat ease.

For further information visit:www.AquafreshScienceAcademy.com

http://www.aquafreshscienceacademy.com/http://www.aquafreshscienceacademy.com/http://www.aquafreshscienceacademy.com/

8/14/2019 Getting Your Message Across III

3/3

PRACTICE INFORMATION RESOURCE

www.AquareshScienceAcademy.com

understand their verbal messages and putit in the context o the social setting otheir lie.

Empathise...

Empathy means not just listening tosomeone but understanding them andtheir concerns as ar as possible andcommunicating this understanding to them.It is impossible to ully know anotherssubjective experience but it is possible to

attempt it. By repeating back to the patientyour understanding o their messages andneeds, you will help them to eel heardand understood; this eedback process alsogives the opportunity or the patient tocorrect any misunderstanding on your part.

Reassure...

Your patient may eel nervous orunsure and is likely to need supportand encouragement. Summarising yourmessage, reassuring your patient aboutany treatment concerns and inviting themto call i they have any queries or worrieswill help to make them eel supported.

The strategies and tactics explained hereare just some o the dierent methods

that you can integrate into yourcommunication approach in order toget your message across as eectivelyas possible. By truly understanding andcorrectly interpreting your instructionsand reasons behind them, your patientsare more likely to heed your adviceand maintain, or even improve, theiroral health.

Refereces

Egan G. (1990). The Skilled Helper, 4th Ed. Pacifc Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole. 467 Family Therapy, 436.02 Practicum.

Latter A. Ask the right questions. 2005. Private Dentistry.

Frher frFor urther inormation about some o the barriers that may exist between dentalpractitioners and their patients, reer to Why does communication sometimes fail?.Find out about dierent personality traits and learning styles and how adapting yourapproach can help you get your message across by visiting What makes your patienttick?. Two urther articles giving an overview o patient motivation and two slidedecks on patient motivation and communication are also provided within the Patientocus section.

Hw delver fr

These tips may be helpul:

slow down progress can be quickeri you create the opportunityor refection

consider the amount o inormation

given patients vary widely in theirdesire or inormation

consider the priorities o the patient he/she will have to integrate theinormation into their everyday lives

include positive messages truthulpositive messages can help toincrease a patients receptivenessto hard acts

deliver inormation with care in anaccessible way and appropriate to thepatients level o education

consider preparing handouts to giveto patients to take home which mayappeal to visual learners.

How you get your message across mayalso need to be tailored to addresssocial, cultural and environmentalbarriers to successul healtheducation outcomes.

By repeating back to the patient your

understanding of their messages and needs,

you will help them to feel heard and understood.

iStockphoto.c

om/

MarilynNieves

For further information visit:www.AquafreshScienceAcademy.com

http://www.aquafreshscienceacademy.com/http://www.aquafreshscienceacademy.com/http://www.aquafreshscienceacademy.com/