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Be a Guide
(Show the Way)

Patients don't know what we know. That gap is called 'fear of the unknown,' and psychology says it's one of humanity's greatest fears, even scarier than death(!). Today covers how to guide our patients (even through the smallest moments) so we don't leave them stuck in that gap (which creates a snowball of negative emotion that makes our job a lot harder).
   7:51 Watch Time [Week 25 from the Weekly upSKILL series]
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 Real Help 

Solve these 'people problems'

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For upSKILLers:

  • Patients feeling anxious or unsure because they don't know what's happening
  • Awkward silences or blank pauses that leave patients wondering if something's wrong or what's going on
  • Feeling like all you do is serve, instead of being important as a confident guide
  • Remembering that patients don't know what you know, and that gap is yours to close
  • Wanting patients to relax, feel less anxious, and be more cooperative
  • Removing fear of the unknown whenever you can with teammates or people in your personal life too

For Leaders:

  • Team members answering only the question asked instead of guiding the full interaction
  • Patients feeling like they're in the backseat with no idea where the visit is headed
  • Inconsistent communication that leaves patients feeling like a task instead of a person being led
  • Coaching team members to narrate the what, why, and what now in every interaction
  • Building patient trust and confidence through small moments of proactive guidance
  • Reducing patient anxiety and confusion
 Data 

It's science

Psychologist Dr. Nicholas Carleton found that fear of the unknown may be one of the most fundamental fears we have as humans, arguably more central to our behavior than the fear of death itself, with uncertainty acting as a core driver of anxiety.(1)
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When we don't guide a patient through what's happening, we hand them the one thing their brain fears most: not knowing.
A meta-analysis on psychological preparation for medical procedures found that patients given clear information about what to expect and why experienced significantly less anxiety and recovered better than those who weren't.(2)
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The moment we explain the what, the why, and the what now, we're actively lowering a patient's stress response.
Research on the psychology of control found that simply having a sense of control, or knowing what comes next, reduces stress and increases well-being, even when the outcome itself doesn't change.(3)
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Guiding a patient through the process gives them that same sense of control, even though we may be the ones driving.
 Note 

From The Experts

"When we guide our patients, we take out the element of the unknown and, in turn, reduce anxiety, which makes their experience much better and creates a feeling of trust, which makes our job a lot easier."
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- Christine & Lauren, The Patient Whisperers
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This is adapted from Weekly: Mastering Soft Skills

by The Patient Whisperers:
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For everyone who works with patients - or interacts with humans.

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 WHO 

Meet the experts

The Patient Whisperers
Christine Scarlett
& Lauren Weaver
Former practice leaders leading change by bringing relational intelligence, soft skills + emotional connection into healthcare as authors, speakers, and upSKILL instructors. 
Get to know them here or connect on social media:
Christine Scarlett
Former CMO
& Director of Patient Experience
From counseling patients, to Director of Patient Experience, to CMO, Christine's worn nearly every 'hat' in a healthcare practice. The driving force? Her love for people... creating exceptional patient experiences and empowering those who serve them.
Lauren Weaver
Former
Director of Brand Development
Bringing her PR, branding, social media influencer status, and love of storytelling with her, Lauren turned how we market and build a brand for ourselves in healthcare upside down by redefining how we connect with our patients, both in practice and online.
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(1) Carleton, R. N. (2016). "Fear of the Unknown: One Fear to Rule Them All?" Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 41, 5-21. (2) Johnston, M., & Vögele, C. (1993). "Benefits of Psychological Preparation for Surgery: A Meta-Analysis." Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 15(4), 245-256. (3) Leotti, L. A., Iyengar, S. S., & Ochsner, K. N. (2010). "Born to Choose: The Origins and Value of the Need for Control." Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 14(10), 457-463.