10 Things You Should Never Say to Your Patient

Don’t threaten a break-up

If you threaten your patients, you may regret it later. “It shows that you’re not truly committed to your job, making your patient feel rejected and preventing them from feeling safe trusting you.” When a patient comes to you, he/she is apprehensive, as a new patient will definitely take time trusting you for he/she had his/her own reasons to leave his/her previous dentist. So, if by any chance you are having a bad day (it’s OK, we are all humans), tell the patient politely that you are swamped today and you would really appreciate if you can give them the evening/next day’s appointment. This will give you time to understand his/her issue and understand the exact problem they are facing. Believe me, it helps build trust with your patients as they see that you have kept a “special time” exclusively for them.

Don’t call him or her a liar

“Trust is imperative for any successful relationship”. If you suspect the patient is being untruthful about anything, telling them straight out that you don’t believe him/her will usually backfire. Instead say, “I’m having trouble believing you’re telling me the entire story.” It’s less inflammatory and accusatory. Focus on asking questions about a particular incident to fully open the lines of communication. The idea is to listen rather than fire off harsh statements. By gathering all the facts first, you’ll be in a much better position to understand your patient’s behavior, disease, history and then react appropriately.

Don’t tell them how to react to something

Let’s get one thing down for sure, they are in pain, they are not sure and all they want is relief. Words like “Calm down” and “You’re being too sensitive” will make the patient feel you cannot empathise. Sometimes doctors make comments like these to stop their patients who are upset, but it can make the patient feel like their emotions aren’t justified, valid or being heard. You want your patients to feel safe showing and voicing their vulnerability without fear of judgment. These phrases are perceived as demeaning directives that belittle and degrade your patient; and he’ll respond with anger, volatility and/or hostility. Rather than telling them how to feel and react to the matter at hand, you’ll be better able to resolve things by letting them vent and listening carefully to what they are saying.

Don’t be passive aggressive

When a patient is at your clinic, it’s obvious that something is wrong, maybe something serious. So, when you say “nothing or everything is fine” you’re being passive aggressive and you make it seem like you’re afraid of bringing up something that could be serious. Being able to communicate with your patients is the only way to work through and make them trust you completely. Sit down and talk it out as calmly and respectfully as possible.

Don’t speak in absolutes

“You’re always late”, “You never take a complete course of medicines” — when you use these phrases, they’re rarely truthful or productive and always hurtful. You’re telling your patient that they can never do anything right and that you don’t think they can change. When you say these words, you’re essentially conducting a character assassination. Studies show that when you put your patient’s character down, you’re even more likely to head for a break up, meaning — you may be the most talented dentist in the whole city, but if you lack communication skills, get ready to go down the hills and lose potential patients. Next time, explain the logic behind taking complete course of medicines (patients appreciate if you involve them) or plan a time according to their schedule if they are always late on your appointed time. A little adjustment will go a long way.

Don’t test their loyalty

“You don’t trust me?” — your patients shouldn’t feel pressured to do something to prove his loyalty. You’re basically testing your patient when you say things like this. Instead, make a request in a non-confrontational and direct way.

Don’t insult their career

Do NOT share a treatment plan according to their social status, it is unethical and you never know, sometimes patients surprise you. I have come across many senior doctors who do not tell their economically weak patient a complete treatment plan. They go straight away with extractions, never even mentioning Root canal treatment, crown and bridge, let alone implants. You have to respect each and every patient you have. You don’t want to belittle, emasculate or marginalize your patients by saying things like “You cannot afford our advanced treatment.” Poof!! Your patient is gone.

Don’t make them feel dumb

No one likes to be told they’re dumb or feel belittled. The unspoken and unwelcome message is that you’re smarter than they are in what you do. They have all the right to get an explaination of the treatment plan, post-op instruction or pre-op instructions without them feeling that you think they are dumb. It takes time for some patients to absorb or they want to be extra careful, there is nothing wrong with repeating an instruction 4 or 5 times, if the patient wants so. if it is difficult to conduct easily and/or there is a series of instruction or treatment plan that you follow with all of your patients, then keep printed copies and handover to them.

Don’t be overly sarcastic

The habit will not go on its own. “Do I look like I am here to brush your teeth?” “Do I look like a babysitter?” Words of sarcasm may seem harmless at first, but they can be used to take a dig at your patient and communicate that you’ve been frustrated by an unmet expectation. Sarcastic comments that put your patient down will erode the relationship and are likely to leave your patient feeling frustrated. Deal with the issue in a loving and genuine manner, which shows that you truly care.

Don’t bring up the ex

You know you are talented, you know you are better than others, but don’t forget you are easily replaceable. If you keep on shaming down the patient that “his ex-dentist was a quack” or “that he destroyed their oral cavity” or words like “I could have saved this if you came first to me”, will not only send the patient on a guilt trip, but will also make him/her feel that you are too proud. Keep your feet on the ground.
This goes vice versa too, your patient might keep on comparing you with his ex-dentist and will make you feel frustrated at some point of time. Have patience, you don’t need to fill someone’s shoes. You have a personality of your own, talents of your own. Let them see that through your work.

Always remember

Happy Patient = Successful Practice

A Few Habits of Confident Doctors

Let’s talk about goals!

Confident doctors have goals that keep them moving forward. They have a positive outlook on life, and they set benchmarks on the path toward their larger goals. Keep a daily agenda and When the day is over, return to your goal and set a new one if you achieved it, or remind yourself to try to accomplish it again the next day. Setting targets and having a focus will help you to feel better about yourself and your accomplishments.

The power of positivity

When you  shy away from self-doubt and feelings of inferiority it brings exponential changes in your personality. Substitute negative thoughts or speech with words that are encouraging. Don’t waste time beating yourself down when you should be pulling yourself up.

Celebrate every success

Confident scholars take pride in their successes and the hard work that they put in along the way. However, they also have the ability to be happy and celebrate the success of others. Diminishing others success is a sign of low self-esteem. Don’t let a day pass without acknowledging someone else’s hard work—or your own.

Embrace failure

When you don’t do quite as well on a patient as you would have hoped or your senior doesn’t love the decision you took for a patient, it is easy to get disheartened. Try to forget about the situation as soon as possible. Learn to laugh at yourself and not beat yourself up when things don't go as anticipated. Your mistakes are a part of learning experience. Confident people understand that sometimes failure is inevitable.

Look good, feel good

This one is along the lines of “fake it till you make it.” If you feel great about your appearance, you're more likely to feel confident about yourself overall. Take pride in how you look. Looks aren't everything, but we always feel better when we take care of ourselves. Make some time and thought when preparing to present yourself to the world. It will make a difference. Remember, whatever you do to feel confident, you should do it for yourself, not for others!

Don’t let others sway you

It's important to listen to others and respect their opinions. If you believe in something, it's important that you do not allow your own opinion to be changed in order to conform to that of the group. Successful people know that it's healthy to say no. On a daily basis, make sure that you're standing firm in your beliefs.

Surround yourself with positivity

It could be the people, your team, quotes or anything else, fill your days with positivity. 

How does your operator look? Your operator, especially, should be a place that not only makes you happy but also raises  your confidence.

Decorate your clinic with motivational quotes or pictures that instantly change the vibes.

Confidence is beautiful—embrace it

8 morning habits for highly successful doctors

 

However rewarding, nobody said seeing patients all day long is an easy job. Your clinical duties require dedication, concentration, and positivity. With the orders of the job tall, remember that a successful day begins with a successful morning.

Here are eight ways to start your morning off right.

Wake up early

According to research, 50% of self-made millionaires begin their day at least 3 hours before they set foot in the office, and 90% of executives rise before 6 a.m. on weekdays.

Now, starting early doesn’t necessarily mean the crack of dawn, as evidenced by some of the following early risers:

• Apple CEO, Tim Cook, wakes up at 3:45 a.m.
• Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is in the gym at 4 a.m.
• Virgin-Group founder Richard Branson is up at 5:45 a.m.
• “The Oracle of Omaha,” Warren Buffett, opens his eyes at 6:45 a.m.
• Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg first checks his phone at 8 a.m.

Begin planning the night before

Plan out the highlights of what you need to do the next day, and write things down in a prioritized manner. This list will help you keep organized the next day.

Start with the toughie

Imagine that before you drive into work, you have to write a lengthy email to your colleague about a patient. You’re somewhat daunted by this task, knowing that it will take a bit of time. However, it’s best to start with this difficult task before you do anything else.

Please note that if something takes less than 2 minutes to do, then the 2-minute rule takes effect. In other words, prioritize anything that takes less than 2 minutes (like charging your tablet) above anything else.

Disengage from your phone

Of course, you need to check your phone when you first wake up — you don’t want to miss any important messages. But you don’t need to check Facebook shortly thereafter. According to a survey from CareerBuilder, 75% of employers report that at least 2 hours of productivity are lost per day thanks to distraction, and smartphone use and texting accounts for 55% of this time-suck. Why begin your day with a time-suck?

Blue-light special

According to the results of a low-powered study — no pun intended — Korean researchers found that when compared with warm light, 1 hour of exposure to blue-enriched white light on waking boosts alertness, mood, and visual comfort, and decreases melanin levels. With regard to cortisol — the other important circadian marker in the study — no difference was observed.

The authors concluded that blue-enriched LED light may be an effective countermeasure for morning drowsiness. What are you waiting for?

Exercise

What kind of list would this be without exercise? According to Harvard researchers, regular exercise helps with blood pressure, weight loss/maintenance, energy levels, mood, stress, anxiety, and heart health. Exercise also stimulates brain regions involved in memory, and causes the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which rewires memory circuits for the better.

Eat breakfast

In one study, Spanish researchers found that teens who ate a high-quality breakfast experienced improved health-related quality of life and lower levels of stress and depression compared with those who ate unhealthy breakfasts. Moreover, those who ate unhealthy breakfasts had lower quality of life and more stress and depression than those who skipped breakfast altogether.

Make time for family

Researchers have shown that parents have the greatest impact on the success of young people by promoting learning vs supporting school activities. In other words, spending time with your family before you go into the clinic not only warms the cockles of your heart but also helps your kids ou

Little acts of kindness !

The horror in your patient’s eyes says it all. You accidentally uttered words you should never say in front of unsuspecting patients.

The second you said what you were thinking out loud you knew you’d messed up. Not only did you see the surprise in the patient’s eyes, but in other team members eyes as well. Hopefully, everyone learns a lesson from the slip-ups and won’t do it again.

 

STOP BITCHING AROUND

“The work your previous doctor has done on your health is terrible”

Why would you say that to a patient? It’s a strict NO-NO. Whenever you say things like this about a doctor, it leaves an impression that you are not supportive of your own fraternity and …you will talk about things like this beyond your patients back (he might imagine you say — “he is a terrible patient”)

If you can’t say something good, SHUT UP, but don’t hurt feelings

Imagine when you are in pain and the staff in hospital mistreats you or your loved one. Would you ever go back to that hospital, that doctor no matter how good they are?

 

Words of Appreciation matters

Instead of saying “Sorry for the wait”, say thank you for waiting so patiently. I appreciate how well you are following my instructions. Gift your patients a care package, a coupon when you see they are regulars, something to make them feel appreciated when they refer more patients to you.

 

Hire compassionate people

People who cannot empathize with patients in pain cannot be left with patients and are naturally, not a good fit for a healthcare organisation, prioritizing tik-tok videos and Facebook over patients leave a negative impact on the caring ambience you are trying to create. Imagine a patient in pain who is waiting for his appointment, your receptionist instead of assuring him about the treatment is busy listening to Bhojpuri songs. Teach your staff to be courteous, compassionate, professional and most of all kind.

 

Robinhood approach is not wrong

It is okay to sometimes give the best treatment to the ones who cannot afford while you know that there is a specific section in the society who can easily pay any amount that you quote.