Dental & Medical Offices

Dozens of Ways to Enhance Patient Comfort & Confidence

Doctor and dental visits are stressful to most patients.  Patients walk in with pain, or fear of pain, the anticipated expense, and/or a bad diagnosis, along with the rest of their life concerns.

Begin Here

Begin with the conscious awareness of the psychological state patients are in as they approach your office.  Knowing this you can begin the healing process even before you see them by analyzing every aspect of your of your office for its psychological impact.  Is the front door hard to find? [Stress #1] Are there notices up all around the waiting room? [Stress #2] Is it noisy? [Stress #3] Is the rest room hard to find? [Stress #4] Can sounds from the rest room be heard in the waiting room? [Stress #5] Is there a lack of patient privacy dealing with the front desk? [Stress #6] Does the music have a fast beat? [Stress #7] Can noise from treatment rooms be heard in the waiting room? [Stress #8] Are the walls dirty? [Stress #9]

That is just a partial list of the elements to assess for their psychological impact. Your office can work to allay patient fears when set up properly.  It can communicate caring, competence and value. If it doesn’t, you’re working harder than you have to, and your patients are suffering more than they should be.

Results

Patients recover fast in spaces that inspire hope, caring, competence, and peace of mind.  In one study, researchers at Texas A&M and Georgia Tech reviewed 600 scientific studies to find that the “conventional hospital design contributes to patient stress and danger.” Dr. Morris found the same to be true of medical, dental and laboratory settings.

Small Changes Big Outcome

Making small but significant changes to the physical space can transform it into an inspiring space for both patients and staff.  Training staff about the psychological impact of the space on patients [and them] insures a mindfulness around maintaining improvements to the space and is an essential part of the process.

Contact Dr. Morris to craft a psychologically supportive environment for your patients (and for you and your staff)!