Photo Credit: JackF
Patient encounters outside of our practices can be awkward. Here’s advice on what to do when a patient appears next to you, ready to converse.
We’ve all had those situations where we’re trying to find the perfect bell pepper, and one of our patients appears next to us, eager to talk.
Patient encounters can be awkward, and we don’t always have all the answers outside the office or the energy to do so.
What is the best way to handle these encounters?
- Be polite. There is nothing wrong with a friendly conversation and getting to know more about our patients.
- Don’t give medical advice. You are accountable for any advice you give a patient inside and outside the office.
- Tell patients to call the office if they have medical questions. My standard reply is to call the office, and I can refill that medication or bring the patient into the exam room if the patient wants me to look at their ingrown toenail.
- Redirect the conversation. If you feel patients are going off into a medical discussion, redirect the topic.
- Reassure people, especially patients, that you will take care of whatever they need when you are back in the office.
- Be honest. If you rush to make it to a mandatory staff meeting, say so; patients appreciate honesty.
- Be empathetic. Maybe your patient had a bad week and didn’t have time to contact the office. Put yourself in their position.
We should never be rude or impolite in these situations. If people persist, explaining why you can’t help them in Walmart goes a long way; simply saying, “I need to see your chart,” is often enough.
We shouldn’t pretend to be someone else when scanning our credit card at the cash register. It will look bad if patients realize that we checked out without saying anything to them.
We are all human and function in the same world. We’re going to encounter our patients in places outside our practices. HIPAA applies everywhere and we must be careful not to be dragged into patient gossip.
