Innovative Training for Doctors Could Improve Hospital Experience

A patient's happiness is not the primary focus for many physicians, but it is an increasingly important factor in the�healthcare industry. One Florida doctor has incorporated patient happiness, gauged by non-verbal communication, into his rubric of healthcare.

The hospital satisfaction�rating is a metric designed to improve the quality of healthcare.�Though the�effect on patient care is in dispute, patient satisfaction surveys have become a part of life for physicians as they are�heavily linked to state and federal funding.�Last year, only 251 out of 3,500+ U.S. hospitals received a 5-star rating on patient satisfaction.

Communication is undeniably the foundation of the doctor-patient relationship.�To improve satisfaction scores many hospitals are turning to non-verbal communication training. Tampa-based facial plastic surgeon,�Dr. Rich Castellano is at the forefront of this new training. He devoted his practice to�researching the�impact of facial expressions and body�language on medical care.�
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"Patients are more proactive and trusting when they feel connected on an emotional level to a doctor.�This can greatly impact a treatment plan and improve the quality of care," said Dr. Castellano.
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As the medical industry shifts away from small private practices, to large clinical settings, it is easy for patients to think of themselves as just a number or as a small cog in the big healthcare-machine. Dr. Castellano teaches medical professionals to personalize care even in large hospitals at every level and with every staff member, no exceptions.

Part of Castellano's training for hospital staff includes use of The Universal Smile Score. Mirroring the universal pain score system, this clinical indicator is predictive of human behavior and facilitates doctor-patient communication.

Dr. Castellano recently unveiled his Universal Smile Score at his alma mater, the University of South Florida College of Medicine, where he has been asked to teach and train medical students.

"We are currently planning additional research to add to the wealth of proven non-verbal communication strategies to help doctors with their bedside manner," he said.

These noble efforts are enhancing patient care and improving the quality of life of healthcare providers. Dr. Castellano is quick to point out, "At the end of the day, this is really about kindness and compassion."

How doctors deliver care to a patient should be just as important as what they deliver. Non-verbal communication is the core of great bedside manner for physicians and nurses and Dr. Castellano is on a crusade to bring this knowledge to the medical world.

Wall Street Journal best-selling author Dr. Rich Castellano (also known as "The Smile Dr.") is a double board certified facial plastic surgeon and facial analysis expert. He travels the country training doctors, healthcare providers, and entrepreneurs in innovative non-verbal communication found in his bestseller, "The Smile Prescription."

Dr. Castellano is the first facial plastic surgeon in the world to regularly broadcast his surgeries and procedures live to thousands of viewers across the globe on Periscope.tv and Facebook, and has made hundreds of live appearances including guest interviews on "The Daily Buzz," FOX, NBC, ABC, CBS, and numerous other media outlets.

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