Strategies for Building Patient Rapport

PSYCHIATRIC PRACTICE

Patients may not always be at their best when they arrive for an appointment; they may be dealing with their illness or with stress from traveling, etc. As a result, they may be harsh or abusive to office staff, question medical judgment, or simply avoid telling the truth about treatment adherence and other activities. Here we focus on strategies to help prevent and overcome those difficult situations and behaviors.

Build a trusting relationship. Patients want to please their doctor, and they want to know you care about them. Keep notes on important aspects of patients’ lives and inquire about those...