AIDET

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There was a lot of orange at Thames hospital last Friday!

The AIDET team launched a patient communication method for Thames hospital and Community staff to use when communication with patients or other staff.  Orange T shirts with AIDET on the front, with orange balloons and a lovely morning tea launched the pilot.

The goal for Thames is to have all staff learn the steps in the process and the benefits of AIDET, and to achieve staff competency of AIDET skills.

AIDET stands for:

A - Acknowledge
I - Introduce
D - Duration
E - Explanation
T - Thank you

It is a simple acronym that represents a very powerful way to communicate with people who are often nervous, anxious, and feeling vulnerable.  It allows us as trained health care professionals to share our experience, knowledge, and training.

Research shows that people place more importance on doctors’ interpersonal skills than their medical judgement or experience.  Doctors’ failing in these areas are the overwhelming factor that drives patients to switch doctors.  Note the following:

• 85% said treating a patient with dignity and respect is an extremely important quality in a doctor.
• 84% cited listening careful and being easy to talk to as important qualities
• 58% said having “a lot of experience treating patients with your medical condition” was extremely important.

The defining difference between organisations that are excellent at communicating with stake-holders and those who struggle is the difference between telling something and connecting with someone.  The former is a one-way street that does not look at whether the message was received: the latter implies the communicator has engaged with the other person in a meaningful way.  This includes listening.

In health care, patients are distracted, frightened, and often in pain.  We may think we have communicated something, but in reality what we thought we were communicating may not have been heard.  Key Words at Key Times take the guesswork out of the health care equation.  Patients and families know we care for them as patients and people.

From a patient’s perspective, the use of AIDET reduces anxiety and ultimately improves quality of care.  AIDET is probably one of the most powerful prescriptions we can bring to improving health care.  And it is not hard.  It just takes time to make the use consistent.


Acknowledgement

• Eye contact
• Smile
• Stop whatever you are doing so your customer knows they are important

Introduction / Welcome

• Welcome
• State your name
• State your department
• State your role in the patient’s care

Duration / Time expectation

• Explain how long a procedure will take
• Explain how long the test or interaction itself will take
• Explain how long a patient should be expected to wait before getting the results of the teat

Explanation

• Explain the test or procedure
• Explain the role of involved medical staff
• Explain if the test or procedure will cause pain or discomfort, or if any post procedure instructions are necessary
• Offer to answer any concerns or questions, or resolve any complaints

Thank You

• Say “Thank you for your time”.