As a health care professional, it’s important for you to establish good communication and trust with your patients. Studies have shown that patient satisfaction and health outcomes are both affected by whether patients feel that the people caring for them are sensitive to their needs and empathize with them. This Press Ganey report on the state

Miscommunication or poor communication between health care providers and patients or their families—particularly in the event of an adverse outcome or incident—is known to result in increased numbers of malpractice lawsuits. When health care providers have the opportunity to express condolences or apologies to patients and families without fear of having those words used against

Lab testing forms the basis for many aspects of diagnosis and treatment. This means that test-related errors can have serious repercussions. A study from ECRI Patient Safety Organization found that the majority of errors related to lab testing took place outside the laboratory itself. Common errors included: Mislabeled specimens Specimens with an incomplete or missing

You probably learned basic legal terminology while you were getting your degree and other training, but if you are ever involved in a malpractice lawsuit or claim, you may find yourself overwhelmed by unfamiliar words and phrases. Here is a glossary that covers many of the legal and insurance terms you might hear in relation

According to the Institute for Healthcare Communication, “Extensive research has shown that no matter how knowledgeable a clinician might be, if he or she is not able to open good communication with the patient, he or she may be of no help.” That’s a strong statement, but it speaks to how incredibly important it is