Easing patient stress is a necessary part of the job. He's are some ways you can do it.
Did you know that as much as 20% of the population has what’s known as ‘white coat syndrome’ which is characterized by a general feeling of anxiety along with increased blood pressure when visiting the doctor? We would wager to bet that you can straightaway tell which patients of yours fall into this category.
You may think that those who exhibit these symptoms just have to learn to live with them, yet there are ways you can help to ease their stress, which we’ve outlined below.
Know that it’s probably not you. Most ‘white coat syndrome’ sufferers actually have a fear of the unknown rather than a fear of the interaction with a doctor. Unfortunately, visits to the doctor are largely succumbing to the unknown, but you can still help with this by making your patients feel largely comfortable in your presence. Get to know them and help ease their mind. Know that while the fear of the unknown will perhaps always be there, you can help combat it. Don’t be afraid to ask your patients how you can help lower their stress.
Provide fast diagnostic labs. Getting lab work done is one of those not-so-fun yet oh-so-necessary to-dos when visiting the doctor. Patients tend to find this the most uncomfortable part of the visit because they know that results hold the key to many symptoms and results don’t come fast enough. It’s time to change that. Let your patients know that you can provide labs that are fast and incredibly accurate and it’ll ease the stress that comes with the waiting game. Our diagnostic lab offerings can help you with this.
Dig deeper. Now offer thermal imaging to your patients so they can get screened more thorough than a general assessment. Because the fear of the unknown is so prominent, thermal imaging will provide results that dig a little deeper beyond traditional methods, such as ultrasounds, CAT scans, MRIs and mammograms. Plus, it’s pain and radiation-free.
Patients come into your office for answers because the lack of answers causes them undue stress. Know that you can change this for them so, instead, a visit with you creates a sense of comfort.
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