Compassion, Patience, and Bedside Manner Improve Patient Satisfaction

A study from Healthgrades and Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) analyzed seven million patient reviews and comments about health care providers. This Patient Sentiment Report found that over 52 percent of patients stated that they wanted their doctor to have at least one of the following qualities: compassion, comfort, patience, personality and bedside manner.

Overall, this survey is helpful to understand, from a patient’s perspective, what they are looking for when it comes to care. Such insights are valuable for physicians as the focus in health care shifts more toward the patient experience. The idea is that a meaningful connection between patients and their physician can lead to improved medical care.

As Dr. Brad Bowman, Healthgrades chief medical officer, tells Forbes, “Patients don’t just want to see a doctor, they want to be seen,” This is the idea behind so much of what we do at Stanford Medicine 25, including our work with Presence. The idea behind this new center is that being present is essential to the art and science of medicine and the quality of medical care.

As we teach bedside medicine and physical exam skills to our own faculty, residents and students – as well as educators from around the world – we are able to witness and demonstrate how interactions at the bedside lead to better patient experiences and improved care.  In fact, we’re so dedicated to this idea that we’ve devoted an entire symposium to it: our annual Bedside Teaching Symposium, which takes place this year September 7-8.

 

 

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