Ease the Way - Gebauer Patient Comfort Blog

Treatment Decisions: How Involved Should Patients’ Families Be?

By: Julianne Filion | On: March 8, 2016

Family members play an important role in a patient’s recovery. They’re often the ones who make sure their loved one takes medications, makes necessary lifestyle changes and follows aftercare recommendations. Although family members can provide the support recovering patients need, sometimes they become overly involved in the decision-making process.

When relatives try to control a patient, rather than support him or her, trouble lies ahead. All too often, hospital staff members become caught in the middle. It’s crucial for family members to understand how they can provide a supportive role.

Striking the right balance isn’t always easy, but as a medical professional, you can help educate family members about helpful roles they could take on using the following talking points.

6 Healthcare Questions All Patients Should Ask their Doctor

By: Bethany Nock | On: February 17, 2016

Complicated paperwork, lengthy waits and concerns about your condition can increase your stress level when you visit the doctor. By the time your physician asks if you have any questions, you may feel so overwhelmed that you forget to ask about important issues. Preparing a list of healthcare questions in advance, including those listed below, will help you make the most of your time with the doctor and increase satisfaction with your experience.

How to Help Patients Keep their New Year's Health Resolutions

By: Bethany Nock | On: January 28, 2016

Ahh, New Year’s resolutions. Everyone begins the year so committed, so hopeful and so diligent. According to Nielsen, the two most popular resolutions in the United States are “staying fit and healthy” and “losing weight.” As a physician, that’s likely music to your ears.

Now for the not-so-great news: Research also says 25 percent of people who make health resolutions can’t even make it through the first two weeks. Given that we’re already nearly a month into the new year, 1 in 4 have likely already thrown in the towel.

Luckily, there’s still time to get your patients back on track and committed to preventive care in 2016. Here are a few ways you can increase their success rate.

4 Tips for Handling Misinformed Patients

By: Bethany Nock | On: January 26, 2016

Thanks to unlimited access to healthcare information online, today’s patients are more informed than ever before. With a few strokes of a keyboard, anyone can search their symptoms and instantly access page upon page of health and wellness advice. Unfortunately, this proliferation of health resources also leads to an increase in the opportunity for misinformation and incorrect self-diagnosis.

Misinformed patients can be a patient communication challenge for healthcare teams. Luckily, because nurse leaders and their staff are frequently the first to interact with patients and their families, they can immediately start the process of clearing up misconceptions and help increase the likelihood of better outcomes.

Here are four tips to foster better communication with misinformed patients, quell unnecessary anxiety and ensure improved patient comfort and satisfaction.

Should Your Hospital Create a Patient Advisory Board?

By: Bethany Nock | On: January 19, 2016

It’s difficult to commit to a patient-centered care approach without input from patients. Although surveys are helpful, they’re no substitute for conversations with people who’ve been patients in your hospital. If you want to make sure you’re providing the services your patients truly need and want, the best course of action is to create a patient advisory board.

We’ll take a look at the many benefits of developing a patient advisory board, and how you can get started.