Everybody wants to be efficient in your scheduling. As you delegate tasks and become more efficient, make sure that your communication with patients doesn’t suffer. More than anything else, patients want to know that their concerns have been heard and addressed. Get in the habit of ending every patient encounter with a summary of your findings and then ask:

“Do you have any questions?”  

Make sure you have eye contact with the patient when you ask this – do not be entering EHR data. Give your patients the opportunity to be heard, and a clear message that you are listening. Even shy patients will speak up if a concern was not addressed. No matter how brief your visit, the patient will not feel slighted, and your business will benefit from happier customers.