Patients want to feel heard so it’s no surprise that “listening” is one of the factors that often weighs heavily in determining patient satisfaction.

Healthcare providers who believe that they listen well enough to make an accurate diagnosis are frustrated when patients don’t rate them well in listening. Patients are frustrated when they leave an appointment without feeling heard. The patient isn’t always right, but it is their perception of their experience with you that determines their satisfaction (or the lack of).

For those of you in (or interested in) healthcare, I also blog on “Patient Satisfaction” at Scrubs & Suits. I just completed a three part series of posts on “listening”, trying to balance the desires of patients with the concerns of providers. Much of this is also applicable to service professionals in other industries. The summary below is linked to the posts on this topic.

Part 1: Can You Hear Me Now? identifies the challenges of “listening” from patient and provider perspectives.

Part 2: Managing Patient Expectations explains how managing the agenda at the beginning of a visit can benefit the patient, the provider, and the process.

Part 3: When and How to Interrupt offers some tips for balancing patient satisfaction concerns about “listening” and “wait times”.

What are you best tips for interacting with patients in a way that makes them feel heard?