Here's how you can effectively manage negative feedback from patients.

An example I have seen is listening actively to negative feedback from our patients demonstrates respect for their feelings. In addition, your behaviour in front of this situation can have a significant positive or negative impact on this problem.

In my opinion actively listening is one of the most important ways to find a solution. Its crucial not to interrupt or correct while the feedback is being given. Take notes, confirm occasionally that you are hearing it all. When emotions are high its important for the feedback giver to get everything of their chest. Show empathy and go over each topic one by one and discuss action plans or follow ups on how a solution can be found.

Active listening is so important when a patient is giving negative feedback. This helped to hear what is being said and also observed the unspoken and body language. This also helps to convey empathy for the situation and can deescalate the tension. Just listening without interruption tells them that you are interested to hear what they have to say and willing to partner with them to make things better.

It is important to respond timely to all negative feedback even if it's just to let them know that you are investigating and will get back to them as soon as you have more information. Sometimes the investigation takes longer than expected so please keep them updated so they know that you take their feedback seriously.

It is important to understand what caused the negative experience. Was it miscommunication, treatment error, or something else? Identifying the root cause will help you address the issue and it is also another opportunity to identify areas that need improvement.

Always conduct a thorough investigation and get information from everyone who was involved, review records and documentation to get to the root cause of the issue. At times you will discover that it's not an individual problem but a systemic problem that needs to be addressed or a process that needs to be revised as it has become normalized. Doing a thorough investigation is an opportunity to evaluate our current processes and also make improvement to prevent future problems.

Clear communication is very important when managing negative feedback. Once the investigation is completed, connect with the patient and thanked them for bringing the issue to your attention and let them know that because of their feedback you were able to resolve the issue and have put processes in place to prevent this incident from happening again to future patients. Use plain language that they understand and actively listen to their responses. You may gain a loyal customer for life.

After implementing a solution, it's essential to follow up with the patient to ensure that they are satisfied with the resolution and ask for additional feedback on how you can serve them better. This demonstrates your commitment to resolving the issue.

One thing I have to find helpful is to consider making a self-analyze to identify your weaker points and be humble to accept you can make mistakes. Following up, you can learn from negative feedback and be a better professional than you were yesterday. Ask yourself, why did the patient give me negative feedback?