Are You Training Staff and Clinicians to Be Effective Communicators?

“Your marketing department relies on strong communication skills and effective message development to promote your services and draw more patients to your facility,” notes Dr. William Maples.

“But have you thought much about training the rest of your staff and clinicians to be effective communicators with one another and also with your target audience? If not, you could be missing some important opportunities to earn higher satisfaction ratings and better reimbursements as the health care field continues to evolve toward more value-based care.”

William Maples

Maples is Executive Director, Chief Experience Officer, and Vice Chairman of the Board of Members of the Institute for Healthcare Excellence. He also serves as Chief Medical Officer at Professional Research Consultants, Inc. His past experience includes 25 years as a practicing physician/oncologist and quality leader at Mayo Clinic.

“Here’s the secret: transforming health care means training your clinical staff to turn to our patients and their families—who are your customers—to understand, from their perspective, what matters most, in addition to safe and desired outcomes, of course,” Maples says.

Because it is essential that patients trust their caregivers, Maples observes that open, honest communication is key. “This is where marketing experts can serve a vital role, helping to facilitate physician education and communicating with patients about what to expect when they put their trust in your organization.”

There’s no question that this approach works, Maples says, citing a clear association between teamwork, which is a hallmark of high-functioning medical teams, and improved outcomes and safety for patients and caregivers.

He provides three real-life examples of health care systems that have achieved success in this area, as well as five ways marketers can lead the charge toward improved health care communication. It’s all in our full article: Hint: The Secret to Transforming Health Care Is Hiding in Plain Sight.

Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President