Communicating In Special Circumstances

Communicating in Special Circumstances Good communication skills are essential when working with patients as a medical assistant. Being able to transmit and receive messages clearly, and conveying information with ease is what good communication skills are all about. As a medical assistant you may encounter patients in special circumstances that can interfere with communication, such as interacting with patients that may be anxious or angry. Knowing how to interact with patients in special needs will help you become an effective communicator so you can know what to expect in similar situations. It is not unusual for patients to be anxious in a healthcare environment. That is commonly known as “white coat syndrome” or “white coat hypertension”. White coat syndrome consists of an abnormally high blood pressure reading when measured in a physician’s office.

As a medical assistant you should try to get an understanding of why the patient is anxious. A patient can be anxious for many reasons. A patient may be ill and fears the worst for the situation that they are in. A patient may have to get a procedure and they may fear that the procedure is going to be painful or something bad will happen during the procedure. Regardless of what the situation is that causes anxiety, it can interfere with the communication

A patient may be angry for many reasons. A patient may be upset because of the amount of time they have waited to be seen. The patient may feel as if they were treated unfairly or as if the people that are trying to help him/her are not compassionate enough. Sometimes the patient may be frustrated and feel resentment about being injured or terminally ill. As a medical assistant your communication skills will usually be tested in situations like these, but knowing how to handle these situations is extremely important so you as a medical assistant don’t lose your composure as