Patient Communication & Safety

Effective patient communication is foundational to ophthalmic practice. Key principles: introduce yourself and your role; explain each procedure before performing it; use plain language (avoid jargon); confirm patient understanding; document all interactions. Special considerations: elderly patients may need louder, slower speech; pediatric patients need age-appropriate explanations; visually impaired patients rely on verbal descriptions; non-English speakers may require interpreter services. HIPAA requires safeguarding all protected health information (PHI) — minimum necessary standard applies to all disclosures.