01.02.02. Introduction to patient
MRTs introduce themselves by providing their name, occupation and role in a manner best suited for the patient
Importance of introductions
- A patient interaction begins with an introduction, which includes both verbal and non-verbal actions occurring between the healthcare professional, the patient and any accompanying individual.1
- The goal of the introduction is to build a psychologically and physically safe environment for the healthcare professional and patient to communicate, and to complete any required healthcare related processes.2–4
- Healthcare professionals interact with people of varying backgrounds and must do so in an effective, empathetic and professional manner.5–8
- Effective communication skills, that account for the patient’s unique needs, are essential to foster therapeutic relationships with patients that are based on mutual trust and respect.9,10
- Patients experience positive therapeutic relationships, for example, when competent health professionals display positive attitudes, communicate effectively, form relationships, help navigate clinical services and engage emotionally.11
- Poor communication can result in serious consequences for health professionals (e.g., legal ramifications, emotional burnout, lack of job satisfaction) and patients (e.g., decreased adherence to treatment, increased anxiety and treatment dissatisfaction, uninformed medical decision-making).12,13
The NOD approach
- According to the Interprofessional Education Collaborative, professional introductions that include the health professional’s first and last name, credentials, and role in the patient’s care are essential elements of effective patient-centered communication.14
- The use of a health professional’s last name may be dependent on local policies and procedures.
- The acronym NOD stands for name, occupation and duty. This approach requires that each professional introduces themself to the patient by giving their name, occupation and an explanation of their role in the test, procedure or treatment.15
- For example: “Hello, my name is Jane, I am a medical radiation technologist specializing in (your specialty) and I will be performing your (examination/treatment).”
- The NOD approach has been credited with improving patient satisfaction and used successfully in many organizations and businesses.16
- When personal protective equipment is worn that makes it difficult for a patient to recognize a healthcare professional, a Visual NOD (e.g., showing picture on ID card) can be implemented to potentially decrease patient anxiety and enhance a patient’s understanding of their care and care providers.17
Additional introduction considerations
- Patients have a right to receive support in communicating with healthcare professionals, which may include the support of interpreters or other support persons. MRTs should be aware of their facility’s policies and procedures to facilitate this process with patients.
- Introductions are not a one-way conversation. It is a collaborative dialogue between the MRT and patient. For example, an MRT may state their preferred pronouns and inquire which pronoun(s) a patient would like to be referred too. MRTs should1:
- use active listening skills by repeating (exact words as patient), paraphrasing (using similar words as patient), and using reflection (conveying general content of message back to patient).
- ensure their tone of voice, pace of speaking, clarity of speech, and volume of speech are appropriate for the patient.
- Introductions include non-verbal communication skills, such as eye contact, facial expression, and paralanguage.18
- MRTs should adjust their nonverbal communication to match the patient’s needs, where able.18,19
- When unsure how to interpret a patient’s non-verbal communication, MRTs may subtly match the gestures and tone of the patient to help them feel understood.20
- MRTs should seek information or training to improve their understanding of communication within different cultures.19
- Consideration for a patient’s culture and other characteristics may alter the meaning of non-verbal cues presented by MRTs.21–23
- When introductions are completed, an MRT should ask the patient if there is anything else they require in relation to the services provided (e.g., Is there anything else you need?).1
- MRTs should explain what will happen next in regards to the procedure, test or treatment and obtain informed consent, as required.
- MRTs should provide information about how the patient can contact the appropriate healthcare professional if they have any further questions, concerns, or require medical reports related to their procedure, test or treatment.
References
- Guest M. How to introduce yourself to patients. Nurs Stand R Coll Nurs G B 1987. 2016;30(41):36-38. doi:10.7748/ns.30.41.36.s43
- Grailey KE, Murray E, Reader T, Brett SJ. The presence and potential impact of psychological safety in the healthcare setting: an evidence synthesis. BMC Health Serv Res. 2021;21(1):773. doi:10.1186/s12913-021-06740-6
- HealthCareCAN. Not part of the job: Ending violence against health care workers in canada. Published online September 27, 2019. Accessed January 5, 2022. https://www.healthcarecan.ca/wp-content/themes/camyno/assets/document/PolicyDocs/2019/HCC/EN/Policy%20Brief%20-%20WorkplaceViolence_EN.pdf?target=blank
- Montague T, Gogovor A, Aylen J, et al. Patient-Centred Care in Canada: Key Components and the Path Forward. Healthc Q. 2017;20(1). Accessed January 5, 2022. https://www.longwoods.com/content/25136/healthcare-quarterly/patient-centred-care-in-canada-key-components-and-the-path-forward
- Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists. Member code of ethics and professional conduct. CAMRT. Published November 2015. Accessed June 23, 2020. https://www.camrt.ca/mrt-profession/professional-resources/code-of-ethics/
- Kwee RM, Kwee TC. Communication and empathy skills: Essential requisites for patient-centered radiology care. Eur J Radiol. 2021;140:109754. doi:10.1016/j.ejrad.2021.109754
- Agaronnik N, Campbell EG, Ressalam J, Iezzoni LI. Communicating with Patients with Disability: Perspectives of Practicing Physicians. J Gen Intern Med. 2019;34(7):1139-1145. doi:10.1007/s11606-019-04911-0
- Grote H, Izagaren F, O’Brien V. How to communicate with patients who are D/deaf or have hearing loss. BMJ. 2021;373:n1382. doi:10.1136/bmj.n1382
- Ratna H. The Importance of Effective Communication in Healthcare Practice. Harv Public Health Rev. 2019;23:1-6.
- Sarkany D, DeBenedectis CM, Brown SD. A Review of Resources and Methodologies Available for Teaching and Assessing Patient-Related Communication Skills in Radiology. Acad Radiol. 2018;25(7):955-961. doi:10.1016/j.acra.2017.11.018
- Gillespie H, Kelly M, Duggan S, Dornan T. How do patients experience caring? Scoping review. Patient Educ Couns. 2017;100(9):1622-1633. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2017.03.029
- Leonard P. Exploring ways to manage healthcare professional—patient communication issues. Support Care Cancer. 2017;25(Suppl 1):7-9. doi:10.1007/s00520-017-3635-6
- Prip A, Møller KA, Nielsen DL, Jarden M, Olsen MH, Danielsen AK. The Patient–Healthcare Professional Relationship and Communication in the Oncology Outpatient Setting. Cancer Nurs. 2018;41(5):E11-E22. doi:10.1097/NCC.0000000000000533
- Interprofessional Education Collaborative Expert Panel. Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice: Report of an Expert Panel. Interprofessional Education Collaborative; 2011. Accessed January 5, 2022. https://www.aacom.org/docs/default-source/insideome/ccrpt05-10-11.pdf
- Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists. NOD. Published n.d. Accessed January 5, 2022. https://www.camrt.ca/mrt-profession/professional-resources/nod/
- Hastings SE, Suter E, Bloom J, Sharma K. Introduction of a team-based care model in a general medical unit. BMC Health Serv Res. 2016;16(1):245. doi:10.1186/s12913-016-1507-2
- Alberta Health Services. Visual NOD (Name, Occupation, Duty): The Person Behind the Mask. Published online n.d. Accessed January 5, 2022. https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/info/pf/pe/if-pf-pe-pfcc-week-visual-nod.pdf
- Kee JWY, Khoo HS, Lim I, Koh MYH. Communication Skills in Patient-Doctor Interactions: Learning from Patient Complaints. Health Prof Educ. 2018;4(2):97-106. doi:10.1016/j.hpe.2017.03.006
- Purnell L. Cross Cultural Communication: Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication, Interpretation and Translation. In: Douglas M “Marty,” Pacquiao D, Purnell L, eds. Global Applications of Culturally Competent Health Care: Guidelines for Practice. Springer International Publishing; 2018:131-142. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-69332-3_14
- Schlögl M, A. Jones C. Maintaining Our Humanity Through the Mask: Mindful Communication During COVID‐19. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2020;68(5):E12-E13. doi:10.1111/jgs.16488
- Keutchafo ELW, Kerr J, Jarvis MA. Evidence of nonverbal communication between nurses and older adults: a scoping review. BMC Nurs. 2020;19(1):53. doi:10.1186/s12912-020-00443-9
- Baugh AD, Vanderbilt AA, Baugh RF. Communication training is inadequate: the role of deception, non-verbal communication, and cultural proficiency. Med Educ Online. 2020;25(1):1820228. doi:10.1080/10872981.2020.1820228
- Lorié Á, Reinero DA, Phillips M, Zhang L, Riess H. Culture and nonverbal expressions of empathy in clinical settings: A systematic review. Patient Educ Couns. 2017;100(3):411-424. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2016.09.018
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