Spectrum Health’s, now known as Corewell Health, employees use behavioral assessments to improve communication between themselves, colleagues, and patients.
Spectrum Health’s Desire To Make a Change
Studies have shown that there is a strong positive relationship between the effectiveness of a healthcare provider’s communication skills and his patient’s tendency to follow through with medical recommendations, self-manage a chronic medical condition, and assume preventative health practices. Additionally, the quality of communication within a team of employees or providers affects job satisfaction, retention rates, and patient satisfaction and safety.
Understanding different personality types in a healthcare setting like Spectrum Health can improve collaboration, effective communication, and enhanced patient care. For example, some of those items include:
- Team Dynamics: DiSC profiles can help healthcare teams understand each member’s communication style and work preferences. This understanding can lead to better collaboration among healthcare professionals, benefiting patient care.
- Patient Interaction: Healthcare professionals with knowledge of DiSC profiles may adapt their communication styles to better connect with patients. For instance, an individual with a dominant personality might appreciate a more direct and results-oriented communication approach, while someone with a steadiness profile might prefer a more patient and empathetic approach.
Supporting Your Workplace’s Communication Styles
Spectrum Health adopted the DiSC assessment nearly 12 years ago. With a strong push for improving their team communications, at the time, “Roslyn Gkekas, a talent programs analyst, advocated strongly for DiSC over other behavioral assessments for several reasons. ‘One, it helped with personal development as well as team building, which some groups were struggling with at the time,’ she explains. ‘Two, it’s short and simple. One could take it and understand it relatively easily; it’s not threatening or an IQ assessment. Finally, people could remember it. You don’t have to remember many letter combinations or words that don’t resonate with you.’
Read more about how Spectrum Health implemented DiSC Profiles within their workplace.
