How Do Patients Like To Be Greeted by Doctors?

The first few moments of physician-patient interaction are critical in establishing the rapport necessary to a successful relationship. Despite its importance, the components of an appropriate greeting are not always clear. Investigators from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago conducted a study comparing patient preferences regarding how they should be greeted by physicians in an initial visit to what actually occurs during a physician-patient greeting. Patient preferences were obtained via a short, closed-ended question telephone survey of 415 random English-speaking adults from the 48 contiguous states. Data on actual greetings were obtained through review of videos of 123 …