ARE YOU LISTENING?

ARE YOU LISTENING?

When you think of serious public health issues, thoughts of obesity, childhood diabetes or even antibiotic resistant bacteria may come to mind. But one significant public health issue facing the medical field today is patient safety.  

One of the culprits? Ineffective communication.   

Studies show that we only retain somewhere between 25-50% of what we hear, making lots of room for improvement. An important component to fighting ineffective communication is active listening—here are some tips to help your team be great listeners!

Active listening is a communication technique where the listener paraphrases what they heard back to the speaker, confirming the understanding of both parties. 

It is easy to get distracted by all the factors that contribute to the over-stimulating environments many of us work in today—i.e. cell phones, office chatter, background noise, etc. Minimize these disturbances by silencing your phone or other devices, shutting the door, and using white noise machines.

We’ve all allowed our minds to wander—what’s for dinner, did I remember to pay the electric bill? Even with the best intentions, we are human and let’s face it, we are all very busy. It may take some conscious effort, but try to give the other person your complete and undivided attention. 

Acknowledge that you clearly understand what your patient is saying by paraphrasing what you just heard. Don’t focus so much on repeating exactly what they said verbatim; rather center on the intentions of the other person’s communication. 

Use body language to communicate to your patient that you’re engaged and listening. This includes good eye contact, leaning slightly forward in your chair, nodding your head and even smiling. Try to be consciously aware of your body language when engaging with a patient and adjust appropriately if it is anything other than positive and attentive. 

Sometimes it can be hard to hold back our questions or comments until the end, but to actively listen, you cannot interrupt. Interruptions are not only frustrating to your patient, they can act as roadblocks in receiving the full and intended message the other person is trying to send. 

If you’re like most people, there is a lot of room for improvement in the department of listening skills. It takes a dedication and a conscious effort, but with a little practice and a lot of reminders, you can become a better listener and in turn provide better care to your patients.

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“Effective Listening in Business Communication.” Small Business. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2012.