Communication between patient and medical staff is extremely important. Even though a provider might have done all the right things, a patient may still perceive the care as poor due to the lack of interpersonal skills that the provider may portray. The attitude a provider must have is to be consistently courteous and knowledgeable with a genuine concern for the patient.
What is the Patient Relations Program?
The primary goal of this program is to make sure that the patient’s complaints and problems are solved. You can do this through patient intervention and negotiations. There is more to discuss this topic in BUMEDINST 6300.10 series.
The goal here is to enhance the communication channels between the hospital and its medical staff with the patient.
What is the patient contact point program?
This program is branched off of the Patient Relations Program. It’s focused on making sure to fix any issues before the patient leaves.
All Navy treatment facilities have this program and patients can provide complaints, compliments, or criticism about their visit.
Who is the Patient Contact Representative?
These people are appointed in writing by the commanding officer (CO). They must be available to all patients. A patient’s complaint or compliment is routed from the Patient Contact Representative up to the chain of command. This message is then incorporated into the commands annual assessment for Quality Assurance (QA) Program.
If you’re interested in learning more, check out BUMEDINST 6010.13 series.
