Are we all on the same page?
Staff need to be trained to all give the same treatment explanations to patients.
I was visiting a practice a while ago and observed something interesting.
In this practice the dental nurses gave the post-operative instructions following an extraction.
I saw two patients undergo similar extractions while being looked after by different nurses. Each nurse gave an entirely different set of post-operative instructions. For example:
One nurse mentioned pain relief, one did not.
one nurse recommended biting on the pack for 15 minutes, one said 30 minutes.
One nurse warned about bone chips, one did not.
That led me to ask the nurses why they gave the instructions that they did. What was the reason for the differences?
The answer surprised me.
Both nurses said that they had not received training on what to say.
They each said that what they told the patient was entirely up to them. They just said to the patient what they thought was a good idea.
Is this what you want in your practice?
I strongly believe that the instructions and treatment explanations that patients get from the staff should not depend on who they ask.
Patients should get the same advice no matter who they ask.
That reduces confusion and makes sure we are all on the same page with communication.
For example, what do we say:
after an extraction?
after a filling?
when a patient asks “What is a root filling?”
when a patient asks “What is a crown?”
when a patient rings with a bone chip after an extraction?
when a patient asks about payment options?
And so on…
By agreeing what we say to patients, we make our advice and explanations clear and unambiguous. We also make our lives easier.
It is well worth the time and effort to all get on the same page.
