PLX Academy · Personal Experiences · 23 January 2023
In a recent survey by Harvard Business Review, 87% of the people polled said that their organization would be more successful if frontline workers were given the power to make important decisions on the spot. Almost 90% of the people who answered agree that it’s important to give frontline staff more power. Frontline communication makes the patient experience better and has a positive effect on healthcare teams. It also helps people do their jobs better and makes the organization more productive.
In healthcare, it is especially important for frontline workers to be able to make the right choice at the right time. But people who work on the front lines waste a lot of time and energy trying to find information that will help them do their jobs better. Poor communication leads to delays, misunderstandings, and mistakes, which means that employees don’t have the tools they need to do their best work. Good communication between frontline workers in healthcare is more important than ever, and it should be clear, direct, relevant, interesting, and go both ways. It helps build trust, calms down patients, staff, and providers, improves patient outcomes, and makes professionals happier.
Soft skills are a key for effective frontline communication
Research shows that effective verbal and nonverbal frontline communication has a positive effect on patient satisfaction, adherence, and actual health outcomes. Employers often say that communication skills are the weakest soft skill for people who work in frontline healthcare. Emotional intelligence is also important because it helps people understand themselves better and control their emotions and impulses. They should care about others, both patients and other professionals, and be able to respond to what they need. Teamwork is a must for good communication, but individual traits like dependability, adaptability, and respect are also very important to the success of a healthcare team. Healthcare workers who work well as a team are able to manage their time well, keep their promises, and give consistent quality care.
Self-development of employees, through setting goals or professional development, is one of the soft skills that is important for front-line communication. These people are able to take on leadership roles and do well in their careers.
When a patient walks into a doctor’s office, there are several things that affect how much they trust the staff and, ultimately, how much they trust and follow any treatment plan they are given. Healthcare workers should have a professional attitude from the moment a patient checks in.
Final word
Good communication between frontline employees increases engagement, improves efficiency, and boosts productivity. So, better communication skills among healthcare workers on the front lines can save a lot of time, money, and effort. These are the good practices, as opposed to the bad ones that make a patient’s experience worse and lead to more burnout.
Give frontline workers the chance to grow by giving them a course on how to communicate effectively with patients.