Medical assistants play a crucial role in every medical office, acting as the first person and often last person that interacts with patients during an appointment. Many patients have concerns about their health, and may even be stressed, depending on the reason for their visit. Some patients may even have underlying issues with general anxiety or social anxiety disorder, or may have already delayed seeing a physician due to health-related stress. Your job is to help set the patient’s mind at ease, and make them less anxious about their doctor’s visit so they continue to get the healthcare they need in a timely manner.
Here are some ways you can help alleviate the stress and anxiety that patients feel when they visit your medical office.
Introduce Yourself
For your patients, this might be the first time they meet you, and introducing yourself will help them feel like this appointment is a friendly experience. A simple introduction such as “Hi, I’m [your name] and I’m going to be your medical assistant today” can go a long way to making your patients feel comfortable.
Be Friendly and Professional
Your demeanor with each patient will influence how they feel during their medical appointment. When you greet them with a smile, act courteous and friendly, and treat them like a person, not a number, they will relax and open up to you. Connect with your patients with a friendly attitude and listen to their questions and concerns.
Listen to the Patient’s Concerns & Practice Active Listening
While you are checking in a patient taking them to the examination room, maybe make some small talk. Ask questions and find out more about them and the reason for their visit. Ask open ended questions to get a descriptive answer. They may open up to you on their own and tell you a small amount about their life. You can save this information for later to demonstrate active listening.
Some patients will be extra anxious and may need you to listen to their concerns, or explain a procedure to make it less intimidating. It’s always important to make a patient feel supported and heard. Don’t interrupt them as they tell you their concerns. Try to discern the underlying reasons for their statements or questions. If they are concerned about a procedure or a diagnosis, they may be feeling anxious. Try to find out what exactly they are anxious about so you can address their concerns and give them the information they need.
By simply listening to patients, it can help ease their tension and anxiety.
Explain Procedures to Patients
One of the best ways to alleviate the anxiety of your patients is to explain the steps of the procedure before it happens. Walk them through what is going to happen, and let them know you will be there through each step.
Some patients get very nervous about procedures like an MRI, or any procedure that is uncomfortable or painful. Show empathy and talk with them, answer any questions, address any fears, and let them know they won’t be harmed by the procedure. Demystifying the medical procedures can help make it less intimidating.
Use Nonmedical Terms and Speak With Clarity
Medical jargon, the language you and the medical team use to describe procedures, can be intimidating to patients. It’s best to speak in a clear language that everyone can understand, so there is no misunderstanding. You don’t need to overexplain the procedures; as that can cause information overload, and overwhelm your patients. By using words that are easy to understand, it will help reduce your patient’s anxiousness.
Show Empathy and Practice Compassion
Listen attentively, put yourself in the patient’s shoes, and have patience with them. For medical assistants, procedures are something you help with every day, for the patient, it’s not an everyday event. Remind them that the physician and the medical team are professionals, and you are here to make sure their visit will be safe, quick, and free from complications.
Don’t judge them for their anxiety, but work with them to show them compassion in a dignified and non-patronizing manner. The patient will probably want the procedure to be completed as quickly and professionally as possible. Simply acknowledging their concerns and reassuring them that you and the physician are there to help will go a long way to making your patient feel safe.
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Use Body Language to Reinforce Empathy
Use a relaxed posture, with an open position (arms open, not arms crossed) to show the patient you are non-threatening and calm. Mirroring your patient’s body language is a subtle way to show you are on their side and there to help them with their healthcare needs.
Take the Patient’s Mind Off the Procedure
When nothing else works, you can try to redirect the patient’s attention and distract them so they aren’t focused on the anxiety of the procedure. Talk to them about something else, engage them in conversation so they aren’t paying attention to the nerve-wracking procedure. If you need to give them directions, such as with a blood draw, speak in a calm, confident voice. If they are waiting for the physician in the waiting room, give them a magazine to read. Taking their mind off of worrying about the procedure will help calm them down.
Let Them Know They Aren’t Alone
People facing health issues may be anxious about their condition, they think they are the only ones going through this situation. They fear the implications of having a health condition, or they may be blaming themselves for being in bad health. They may even fear that the physician may judge them for their health.
Your role as a medical assistant is to let them know that many other people see the physician regularly for the same condition and they aren’t alone. Let them know subtly that they won’t be judged for their current health or needing a medical appointment. By creating a supportive environment, you can set your patient’s minds at ease.
Stay Calm in Every Situation
Medical assistants set the tone for every patient appointment, they’re the first person the patient meets. If a patient is feeling anxiety or stress, the medical assistant can help by speaking calmly, being warm and welcoming, and being approachable. If you’re a medical assistant, you must put any stress from your personal life to the side. Your job is to create a safe environment for patients, where their own fears about medical diagnoses or procedures will be alleviated. Also, patients will often reflect back your own demeanor, so if you are calm, they will become more calm.
Become a Certified Medical Assistant at Campus Sacramento
If you’ve been thinking about a career in healthcare, there’s never been a better time to become a medical assistant. Campus Sacramento has the region’s most comprehensive Medical Assisting training program. You can become a fully certified medical assistant in a little less than ten months. This is a hybrid learning program with some classwork online, and some required in-person days. For more information on our flexible day and night schedules, start dates, or financial aid, reach out to our helpful Admissions team, or call 888-675-2460.