Gaining patient trust can include the following:
1. Start with a warm professional greeting and introduction to
all in the treatment room. (It does not hurt if, like me, you
genuinely like children.)
2. Do not jump right into taking the history or physical exam.
Take a few moments to find out other very important things
like their favorite color, their favorite class, their interests
and whether they have a pet. Share yours with them; you are
building trust.
3. Do the practitioners in your office wear lab coats? I do not;
this can be scary for children and adults, too. (The dreaded
“White Coat Syndrome”).
4. Schedule a longer-than-usual appointment when you see a
new pediatric patient. It may take longer to gain their trust
and allow an assessment, and getting a mold if orthotics are
required.
5. Ask direct questions and give clear explanations to the
patient and the parent. Make them a part of the process. It
is, after all, all about them.
6. Acceptance is the next part of the process. Dealing with any
patient, pediatric or adult, being fit for something they may
deem “ugly and not wearable” can be a challenge.
For Sarah, acceptance was to be a 1 ¼” lift to her right shoe and
a sandal. I assured Sarah and her mother that the lifts would be
Current Pedorthics
January/February 2013
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