Non-medical office staff can play an important, if not pivotal, role in ensuring your office, clinic or medical center is “health literate.” These professionals often set the tone of a visit, can encourage (or discourage) patients from speaking up, and can impact the overall experience a patient/client has with an office. Non-medical staff can help ensure that simple and routine yet vital forms of communication — such as appointment slips, when to call about a test, intake forms — are clear and easily understood and followed up on.
Educate
Empower
Prepare Patients
Ensure Clear Communication
Work with FOS to Improve Care
Educate staff members on health literacy, as well as on the effective communication practices found in this section.
Empower staff to make your office health literate: These professionals are on the front lines of knowing what patients understand and what they don’t. Involve them in your efforts to make your office and your care easier to understand and use.
Have staff prepare patients prior to the visit by asking patients to bring:
- A list of questions and concerns
- A complete medication list (or a bag with all their medications)
- A health history
- Any films, medical devices, information, etc., that is relevant
Work with staff to ensure critical non-medical communication is clear:
- Forms, signs, hand-outs are readable
- Directions are understandable
- Follow-up directions are straightforward
- Implement follow-up procedures to reinforce compliance, understanding, et al
Work with staff to find out ways they can help improve a patient or client’s ability to give information (on intake forms, etc.) and get information.
Say Ah! provides strategies and skills-building techniques to help ensure that non-medical office staff receive vital health literacy training and awareness. Click here to learn more.