Are you inclined to take it personally when patients don't follow through or drop out of care unexpectedly?
Attachment to what others do, especially patients, is risky business!
Naturally, if absolutely no one follows your recommendations, or most patients vanish without so much as a good bye, you have a problem. But that's rarely the case. Instead, it's a small percentage of your patient volume that dogs you. You turn their behaviors into a fascinating little story that ends up producing doubt, uncertainty or self-blame.
Please stop.
By accepting fault you've crossed the line. You've assumed responsibility (ability to respond) for circumstances and patient choices out of your control. You're attempting to usurp their God-given ability to express free will, conveniently setting yourself up for failure and disappointment.
Take heart in the fact that 100% perfect patient compliance would be boring after a month or so, anyway!
Comments (1)
Boring, ha! I'll try a little bit of that! After all, 100% patient compliance doesn't mean that patients will have stopped asking the questions that keep us all on our toes, right? They'll continue to hold us responsible for our care and coaching ~ even as they take more responsibility themselves, right? And they'll want what's next, right? Whatever that is.......
It's a challenging and refreshing excercise to begin to make room in one's brain for 100% patient compliance.
What's next, indeed!
Posted by Julie Seymour | October 1, 2007 4:18 PM
Posted on October 1, 2007 16:18