"Love That Starbucks Coffee!"

Our day is even brighter in the office when one of our patients brings us a cup of delicious Starbucks coffee.  Many of these patients ask how we can drink such strong coffee and we give a simple response “How can you drink those other coffees?”  This is why Baskin-Robbins offers so many different flavors of ice cream and jellybeans come in so many colors.  We ALL have different tastes, preferences, and expectations.

We too often lump our customers together and call them generically “patients.”  Yes, they are our patients, but we frequently make the mistake of reacting to them all the same way and not recognizing their individual needs.  We get frustrated that some don’t understand something that the vast majority of our patients comprehend easily.  Or that they doubt or do not accept a simple treatment plan which will have a significant impact on their clinical outcomes.

We often need to take a step back and look at the “individual” or particular situation and look at the motivation for their behavior.  Even though we speak of “canned” presentations to patients, there is no canned way to deal with someone’s emotions or reaction to a suggested course of treatment, a billing conflict, or fear.  We have no idea the stresses one is dealing with in their life that is resulting in their behavior.  Many of us are fortunate with a comfortable living, healthy children and security.  This leaves many of us naïve to the misfortunes of many and the inner conflict this creates within our patients.

Try to look beyond the obvious when dealing with your patients and give them the benefit of the doubt resulting from the unknown.  The old adage “to take a walk in someone’s shoes” would result in quite the wake-up call for many of us.  Our paycheck is not from a “patient” but a “customer” who deserves respect, consideration and for us to look beyond the obvious.  Enjoy that next cup of coffee…strong, weak, black, regular or sweet!