Optimizing Patient Care Through Active Listening

Active Listening in Physiotherapy

In the dynamic world of physiotherapy, effective communication is the cornerstone of providing excellent patient care. For physiotherapists, mastering the art of active listening is not simply a skill; it’s a fundamental necessity. Active listening is not a passive skill; it must be learned, developed and honed through practice. Once learned, active listening is a formidable tool within our therapeutic toolbox not dissimilar to education, exercise or hands-on therapy. Conscious listening creates deeper understanding of the person and fosters physiotherapists’ ability to build trust and relatedness with patients. Once a strong therapeutic relationship is established it becomes easier to provide treatment that is specific and meaningful. At Rebel Rehab, we listen to our patients’ stories without judgement and collaborate with them to build strong, achievable goals.

The Four Pillars

There are four key pillars of active listening; these four pillars are presented below within the context of a physiotherapy assessment.

Receive: Our responsibility as physiotherapists is to provide expert and professional advice to patients in the context of their problem. Oftentimes, patients have discussed their problem with family, friends or other health care professionals by the time we see them in clinic. These conversations have the potential to affect patients’ thoughts and feelings about their problem and add unintentional layers of confusion. Therefore, it is imperative that we help patients reset the conversation and reframe the problem while consciously receiving the information. This includes undertaking positive body postures, maintaining eye contact with the speaker and avoiding distractions.

Appreciate: Acknowledge, validate and empathize throughout the conversation. We not only have to appreciate what the patient is discussing, but also ensure that the patient feels appreciated. Through small verbal and non-verbal cues it is important to express that we are digesting the information. Additionally, physiotherapists must frame questions in a natural conversational tone to remove the sterility of interview-style questions.

Summarize: When we meet patients for the first time there is often a lot of information that we have to sift through and determine whether or not it is relevant to the problem at hand. To ensure appropriate understanding, we must summarize key points and relay this information back to our patients. Small phrases such as “what do you mean by…” or “what I understand is…” indicates our engagement and that we are following the story. Additionally, reflecting back to the patient allows them to correct us if we misunderstood or provides emphasize on a specific point. Summarizing also allows us to set aside some of the conversational filler to re-visit at a later time.

Ask: Encouraging patients to share their experiences and concerns through open-ended questions is pivotal in uncovering the essential details of who they are and what their problem is. When we ask open-ended questions it promotes a collaborative approach to care, where patients feel heard and valued. It opens avenues for patients to share pertinent information that might not have surfaced through closed-ended inquiries, leading to more accurate diagnoses and personalized treatment plans.

Optimizing Outcomes

Physiotherapy, rehabilitation and health care does not require complicated questions, over-the-top treatment plans and fancy solutions. What health care requires is for clinicians to be engaged, present and mindful of the person who they are listening to. Everyone has a story and patients want to be heard and valued when they seek help from health care providers. Active listening is a simple strategy that can be used to facilitate trust with patients and build the foundation for optimal care.