Many people are feeling powerless in our current pandemic world. Aside from providing the best care we can for our patients, we can help accelerate their healing by engaging and empowering them to take more control over their health and treatment plans.
Today we’re going to look at how we can take a more active role in patient recovery through how we engage and empower our patients and their families.
Educate patients through verbal and written communication
Consider the learning style of your patients. Some people learn better by listening to someone talk, watching a video or tutorial, and others prefer to read. Whenever possible, tailor your patient communications to their preferred learning style so they have a higher chance of comprehension.
Encourage patients to ask questions
Create an environment where patients feel comfortable asking you questions until they fully understand. They may be simply overwhelmed with information and not even realize they have questions until later, but provide a platform for them to clarify any aspects of their diagnosis or care with you. When they fully understand, they can better care for themselves.
Encourage feedback
Make sure your healthcare facility has a process to collect and process feedback from your patients and their families. Is your healthcare facility doing patient satisfaction surveys? Collecting feedback from patients and their family will help you see where there are areas for improvement.
Once your patients return home, many feel they need to support themselves. As healthcare professionals, it’s your responsibility to arm them with the knowledge and equipment to safely return to home life and be available if they need additional support.
September is MedicAlert Awareness Month. We’re sure you’ve got many patients who are or will be using a medical alert bracelet sure to use hashtag #MedicAlertBracelet in your social media this month.
And to help avoid any home accidents from falling out of bed due to your patients using a regular, household mattress, recommend one of our medical-grade mattresses from our collection for their home to help ensure their safety.
