3 Keys to Building Patient Trust: Visibility, Vitality, Values
Building interpersonal trust with your patients can be hard work. The way patients see you affect their trust in you and your healthcare practice.
Building trust with patients begins before they ever enter your practice. Patients want whole-person care from someone they trust. This article will help you foster trust based on visibility, vitality, and values.
Focus on visibility to illuminate your practice.
Use social media platforms to increase awareness.
Create original, engaging educational content to share with your patients. Translate medical information into patient-friendly language.
Establish a welcome video to introduce new patients to you and your practice then publish it on social media. The type and number of content focus areas are limitless, so long as it’s relevant and compelling for your patients.
Well WorldTM by Designs for Health helps you create a personalized welcome video.
Highlight team achievements to promote positive publicity.
Stay up-to-date on new science, technology, and ideas both in your field and in the wider scope of healthcare. This could mean training in a new skill, researching a new treatment, or receiving an award.
Be generous in sharing these accomplishments with your patients. These simple suggestions leave patients with the perception that your practice is at the forefront of integrative functional medicine.
Establish yourself as a trusted source for health information.
In an era where information is so readily available, it’s extremely challenging for everyday consumers to filter out the noise from legitimate information. Establish yourself as a credible source of health information and discuss trending healthcare topics portrayed in the media to stand out as a thought leader in the industry.
You can help your patients identify and apply credible information to their wellness journey. Break down science data into bite-sized messages, so it’s easily digestible for all.
Obtain patient reviews to widen your reach.
Create an easy way for patients to leave a review, then showcase some of your top reviews on your website, social media page, or in the office. Designate someone in your office to periodically review all patient feedback and identify opportunities to elevate the overall patient experience.
Be the example of vitality in your community.
Let your patients know how much you care.
Provide encouragement in addition to personalized treatment plans. Your patients will know that you are looking out for their best interests.
Set attainable goals with your patients to keep them motivated to stick with your care plans. Remember to celebrate goal achievement to help continue building their trust. Well WorldTM can help bring you closer to your patients with an easy-to-use digital health app to stay better connected.
Include automated reminders using Well WorldTM to keep patients on track with their personalized plans.
Make communication the core vital sign of your patient relationships.
Patients want to be heard, respected, and understood. Empower your patients in self-directed health and wellness by listening and responding in an empathetic way.
Here are a few simple reminders to let your patients know you're listening:
- Cultivate respectful conversations.
- Put the computer down when talking.
- Spend time with patients, so they don't feel rushed.
Use a dedicated platform to liven engagement with your patients.
Take a look at your business model, daily office activity, and clinic visit design. Have you built in space for flexibility, while maintaining a sense of stability?
Interact with patients in a fluid, responsive way—it goes a long way in fostering trust. Patients will recognize efforts to accommodate both their needs and their preferences. The Well WorldTM app can keep your patients engaged directly with you and with their healthcare plan.
Well WorldTM helps you track and manage patient metrics and compliance.
Focus on your niche to become an expert in your field.
Focusing on your strengths, and your passions will guide you toward your practice niche. It is easy to see when someone is passionate about their work—it is almost magnetic.
For that reason, honing down and becoming an authority in your unique specialty is a recipe for success. Become a speaker and be part of podcasts or events to elevate your authority. Put forth your best self with effort, professionalism, and dedication.
Get clear on your values and shape your vision.
Aim for authenticity to strengthen patient relationships.
Leading with authenticity is always the clear choice. It offers your patients a sense of safety and security right from the start. Patients want to relate to you. Show empathy and your own emotions, so patients get to know you as a person, not just a healthcare provider.
Your patients will experience your authentic nature when you show:
- Patience
- Kindness
- Empathy
- Generosity
- Compassion
Use transparency to facilitate patient trust.
Surely you’ve heard the words, “What would you do in my situation?” from your patients. Be up-front about your practice values.
Clearly communicate to your patients the history of your practice, the background of your providers, and the patient-provider expectations.
Summary
Make yourself visible, put your values first, and express vitality. Focus your efforts on increasing awareness by highlighting your achievements and values to maximize your authority within your niche.
Soon you will find yourself a trusted professional in a highly competitive field. Stay focused on your vision but keep the plan broad to put in place goals for a clear trajectory to success.
Action Steps
- Follow these four steps to start building trust right now.
- Gather specific narratives to tell your story.
- Choose a social media platform to focus your efforts.
- Write an article or create a video to promote your authority.
- Discover ways to incorporate Well World to effectively engage with your patients.
