For patients and their families, it can be helpful to have positive interactions with healthcare employees. It can help with maintaining a calm, productive atmosphere, and ensure that nobody gets overly stressed.
There are a few basic ideas students in medical office administrator (MOA) training might want to consider when it comes to patient communication. These are things that can help professionals reach a greater level of understanding with patients, and help ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible.
Here are a few examples of ways graduates with medical office administrator training can communicate with patients effectively.
Professionals with MOA Training Know that Clarity & Patience Can Go a Long Way
Whether scheduling appointments, billing patients, or doing other tasks where you need to communicate information, it can be helpful to be clear and patient. Patients entering a medical establishment may want to be extra careful that they give or receive accurate information, since their health, or their insurance dollars, could be at stake. Speaking a little more slowly than normal and repeating your main points at the end of a long conversation can be helpful ways to effectively communicate with patients after completing your medical office administration course.
Effective communication can change depending on circumstances, audience, and more, so it’s normal to be a bit unsure of how to approach a given scenario. During training, consider asking your instructors for their insight into how communication can be approached effectively. You will have access to plenty of one-on-one time, and can expect friendly guidance to put you on track.
If a Patient Seems Upset, Change the Conversation’s Emotional Tone
People typically match the emotions of those they are with. In cases when someone approaches with a smile as well as a calm and professional attitude, this can be a good thing—that happiness gets reflected right back. It also means, though, that rudeness and negativity can become contagious, and might make a conversation stressful and unpleasant. Making a point of staying professional, positive, and calm—even when a patient is upset—can help smooth over a difficult situation. Done well, this can actually change the other person’s attitude for the better, and help you soothe nervous or upset patients. Graduates of MOA Have a Lot of Practice With Professional Communication
Though effective communication might at first seem simple, there is a difference between knowing how to communicate and being able to translate it into practice. Communicating with others is a skill, and like any other skill, you can benefit from practicing it. That’s why one of the most important things students with MOA training can do to become skillful communicators is to develop their skills through practical use.
Because there is high demand among employers for soft skills like communication, our medical office administrator program takes care to help students learn to use them. By the time you complete your program, you will have completed extensive training that can help you communicate in the workplace. You will be able to enter your career with confidence, knowing that you can provide patients with productive, professional interactions.
Are you looking to complete career training in healthcare?
Visit Medix College to learn more about getting started!
