It is the title of a current pop song, but it also rings true for our healthcare system.
We may be more “connected” then ever before thanks to technology and electronic health records, but we are having less human interaction and fewer genuine conversations. Yet, one-on-one interaction is key to developing and strengthening any successful relationship — personal or professional.
You can’t single handedly change the entire “system,” but you can take steps to initiate conversations within your own practice and community — among staff, among your partners, with patients, with your referral sources, and with your neighbors. Find out what is important to them. Solicit their ideas and feedback. And because very few do this anymore, people will take notice.
Reach out. Talk. Listen. Take action. Then talk some more. It will make a difference.
Learn more about strengthening relationships in Andrea Eliscu’s latest book: It’s Personal: The Art of Building Your Practice.