If you’re female, you probably have more empathic ability in terms of detecting body language nuances than males.  Women are socialized to gather input from others’ nonverbal communication, whether they intend to or not.  So you probably notice when a patient is feeling uncomfortable – a stressed, high-pitched tone of voice, eyes cast downward, hunched shoulders.  Addressing that tension verbally can be difficult in a busy medical practice, but take heart: You’ve already won half the battle by noticing the problem. 

Whether you’re female or male, keep body language awareness in mind when you first meet with a patient, and teach your staff to do the same.  Taking cues from patients can help staff understand when to approach the patient assertively and when to give her or him space.  Conversely, getting in a patient’s “personal space” inappropriately can negatively affect your practice by making the patient unconsciously want to avoid having the situation reoccur.  Luckily, research on nonverbal communication is plentiful and it is relatively easy to conduct this type of soft-skills training over a practice-provided lunch or during a staff meeting.  Train your staff to note:

• Eye contact (lack of eye contact signals discomfort or dishonesty)
• Body posture (turned toward you, or turned away)
• Proximity (how close the patient is to you and how they appear to feel about it)
• Facial expression – easy to notice, but often ignored as staff launches into a prepared speech regarding the issue at hand
• Voice – pitch, tone, volume, and speed, as well as verbal pauses (ums and ahhs)
• Patient interaction with objects in the room – does the patient seem preoccupied with a particular poster, pamphlet, or instrument?
• Physical symptoms – heart rate, respiration, perspiration, trembling, etc. 

Awareness of your own body language is just as important as awareness of other people’s nonverbal communication.  For example, when you talk to a patient about the outstanding balance on their account, do you maintain a relaxed posture, or do you adopt a businesslike tone that communicates, inadvertently or on purpose, that their health is really all about money?  Consciously working on your body language can help patients realize the necessity of paying their bills without giving them a poor impression of your medical practice.

It’s critical to keep your own nonverbal communication in mind when you’re dealing with a personal or professional difficulty – even if your teenage son is giving you trouble or you just got unfair criticism from the practice physician, there’s no good reason to communicate that nervous tension to a patient.  Take a few minutes alone to breathe and clear your head before interacting with anyone.   

Of course, the one universal form of body language is the smile – so whenever possible, use it!  You’ll see the difference in terms of patient care and in the environment of your entire office.