From your patient’s perspective
I love Friday mornings. I take a walk to my local Seattle coffee shop, order a cappuccino and banana bread and sit down to write.
I write about my coaching practice, I evaluate and brainstorm. I call these my "CEO days" (because who doesn't want to feel like a badass??)
I think about things like what movement I'm creating (emotionally healthy clinicians changing the world!) and what barriers we face when it comes to emotional health in healthcare. I think about what the steps are for clinicians to create a life and career they love and how they can prioritise their own health even when they feel like they have no time. I think about what it feels like to have no energy or purpose and why it might feel difficult to change from that place.
And I had the realisation that I didn't do this as much as a clinician.
Particularly early on in my career, I didn't spend much time thinking about what it might be like for my patients, from THEIR perspective.
I was focused on how anxious and insecure I felt about my abilities. I studied all the time, and tried hard to measure up to the clinician I felt I should be. When patients didn't get better, I usually made it mean something about me and where I was lacking.
And I say this with SO much compassion for myself back then because I didn't have the tools I have now to be aware of what was happening and to shift gears. And that might be you right now, so have compassion for yourself too & know that nothing has gone wrong; it's a normal human-brain thing!
You might also think that you already focus on your patients - maybe even too much! But there's a difference between thinking about what things might be like from their perspective and what they might need vs thinking about how to get more patients into your practice, ruminating on patient experiences or judging them (if they could JUST do xyz then things would go well...)
So here are some prompts you can consider:
what are the things your patients are most likely worried about when they're coming to their first appointment?
what are common goals your patients have and how might you support them better in reaching those?
why might they be hesitant when it comes to investing in your care?
which concepts do patients commonly misunderstand and how could you find other ways of explaining them?
why might they struggle to maintain exercises or other home advice?
what fear might they have around their symptoms and how can you provide more safety & reassurance?
which insecurities might be going through their mind when they're seeing you for an appointment?
And you might be thinking... Sarah, I'm already overwhelmed and exhausted. Exactly WHEN am I supposed to do this?? 🙄
But I want to suggest that in the beginning, you don't even need to spend additional time on this. It's more a gentle redirection of your brain. Away from your insecurities, fears and judgements and towards what they might be experiencing. We're simply practising - moment by moment - the act of switching viewpoints from ours to theirs.
And - somewhat ironically - when you're less self-focused you actually feel better. You're calmer, more confident and present.
So I'd love to know what happens for you in practice when you shift this focus. And if you're already at the place where you're leading a movement of your own in your career, PLEASE let know what that is! 😀
