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AIDET Patient Communication

What is AIDET®?

AIDET® is a communication framework for healthcare professionals to communicate with patients and each other in a way that decreases patient anxiety, increases patient compliance, and improves clinical outcomes. The acronym AIDET® stands for five communication behaviors: Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explanation, and Thank You.

AIDET® Works in All Departments and Disciplines

Created by Studer Group as a foundational tactic for effective patient communication, AIDET is used by nurses, physicians, technicians, EVS, food service, administrators, and all staff involved in patient and family encounters at the bedside and across the continuum of care.

While keywords are important in AIDET, it is not a script. It's a simple, consistent way to incorporate fundamental patient communication elements into every patient or customer interaction. Below is an example of how to frame communication using this powerful tool:

  • A

    Acknowledge:

    Greet the patient by name. Make eye contact, smile, and acknowledge family or friends in the room.

  • I

    Introduce:

    Introduce yourself with your name, skill set, professional certification, and experience.

  • D

    Duration:

    Give an accurate time expectation for tests, physician arrival, and identify next steps. When this is not possible, give a time in which you will update the patient on progress.

  • E

    Explanation:

    Explain step-by-step what to expect next, answer questions, and let the patient know how to contact you, such as a nurse call button.

  • T

    Thank You:

    Thank the patient and/or family. You might express gratitude to them for choosing your hospital or for their communication and cooperation. Thank family members for being there to support the patient.

How does using AIDET® benefit me, my patients, and my organization?

Using a consistent conversation framework helps physicians and staff anticipate the needs of patients and their families so that they can meet and exceed the level of care patients expect.

After more than 15 years in practice at hospitals, health systems, and medical practices, AIDET has proven to:
  • Improve patient and customer perception of care or service
  • Decrease anxiety (for staff and patients) and increase compliance resulting in better clinical outcomes
  • Build patient and customer loyalty
  • Ensure service providers deliver consistent measures of empathy, concern, and appreciation

Popular AIDET® Resources

Evolving AIDET

AIDET Plus the Promise SM further develops the tool to include a commitment statement from care providers to patients.

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AIDET and Office Visits

Effective patient communication in medical practices saves time and improves patience perception of care.

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Empathy and Clinical Outcomes

A communication framework creates the opportunity for providers to show authentic concern for patients which is linked to better clinical results.

Learn More

Exclusively for Studer Group Partners

Access your AIDET Toolkit on the Learning Lab for videos, simulators, downloadable guides and more on using the tool in your organization.

Get Toolkit

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