Top 5 attributes of good communication | Emotional skills needed to be a good physio
Hi everyone, my name is Masud.
In this video I’ll be opening up about my Top 5 attributes of good communication in relation the role of a physiotherapist.
For instance, we all know that physiotherapists should be good communicators but what does that mean exactly and why is it important?
Well I would agree that communication is the number one skill in terms of importance physios should possess.
However it’s such a broad word that a lot of the nuance skills under it are missed.
Things like:
Empathy
Patience
Being firm but kind at the same time
Sensitivity
Tact
Empathy is important to be able put yourself in your patients shoes and have a chance to experience what they’re going through. It’s about saying ‘I understand..I know what you’re going through’ more so than ‘atleast ..’ It’s a natural personality trait alot of people have but also that for others it takes time to develop.
Patience is another crucial element of communication particularly when you’re prescribing exercises to your patients or trying to engage any form of rehab. It’s important that the patient understands they can work with you under their scope of time and there is no rush to complete anything. This creates a safe environment for them to grow their confidence and ultimately function.
Being firm but kind at the same time is fundamental to being a good communicator as you need to have some level of power over your patients. Similar to as if you’re speaking with your children. To give some context as to what I mean as I understand that could have been misinterpreted. When you are for instance chatting about the importance of being consistent with an exercise programme at home, the patient needs to understand that it is them who will be taking control of their health and not you. We need to help them to get to terms that we do not necessarily feel emotionally attached or does it bother you if they don’t get better as you will still be getting paid and it’s not my time that’s getting wasted it’s yours… I usually explain it in this sort of way and it works all the time because we are keeping being straightforward and most if not all the time patients react positively to this.
This kind of thing works best in the private MsK setting from my experience. I cannot speak for other areas of physio and I understand not all areas of physio are the same so the communication style has to be adapted but the principle of ‘being firm but kind’ still holds true.
Sensitivity.
Sensitivity is crucial to be able to adapt your practice without the need for any awkward situations. You have to be constantly in tune with how your patient is feeling about your decisions.
If it is someone who wears a headscarf for religious or cultural reasons and you’re a male therapist treating them alone. Can you rebook them for another time or prior to that ask them if they don’t mind seeing you or would they like to be rebooked with a female therapist. Keeping it open from the get go allows to achieve better outcomes and rapport.
Sensitivity is a very natural skill but can be developed by paying more attention to your environment.
Last but not least, we have tact, so the act of touching a patient is key when we are working with them to rehab.
Now I know from personal experience when working in the NHS outpatients department as a student, alot of the emphasis is on being hands off and giving exercises.
That’s fine, but when it comes to other areas of physio where you work with more chronic conditions, touch if a key part of your communication with your patients.
When helping them stand up from their chair by gently encouraging them by their hip or leg tells the patient that someone else is there with me to help to support me whilst I do this. It signifies to them ‘I’m not alone’ and I am getting better. Slowly but surely their confidence builds.
So these were some of the 5 key attributes of good communication and how it relates to the role of a physiotherapist.
Hope you found this valuable and as always thanks for watching!
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