It is no secret that building trusting relationships and empowering patients to participate in their health results in better outcomes and care coordination. But, it isn’t always easy, especially for some of our most vulnerable patients—those deemed high risk because of complex medical challenges, immigrants and refugees with a history of trauma or patients struggling […]
Emotional well-being is not easy to measure, especially when compared to an improvement in blood sugar or blood pressure. Yet, I’m struck by how often patients use the adjective calm when describing health situations, explaining why they like their provider’s demeanor or wishing there was respite in a crisis. Calm need not connote ignorance, avoidance […]
Editor’s Note: Informed consent is far more than getting a signature on a form. A true informed consent process requires patient engagement and involvement to ensure the best clinical outcome. Here, Dr. Aaron Fink outlines the challenges with regulatory compliance and offers a practical solution for truly engaging with patients in the process. Informed consent […]
Research reflects that building relationships with patients through communication and patient-centeredness has a strong impact, which includes improving patient and provider satisfaction, improving adherence to medication, and decreasing resource utilization, costs and malpractice. The major skills in building a relationship and patient-centeredness include attentiveness and warmth, empathy, respect, support and partnership. Attentiveness and Warmth Attentiveness […]
The other day, I simply couldn’t convince my patient, a 56-year-old executive vice president with known heart disease and high cholesterol, to take a potentially life-saving cholesterol-lowering drug, or “statin.” He mentioned that his prior doctor, whom he trusted, warned him of the harmful and irreversible effects statins have on muscle tissue. No matter how […]
Editor’s note: In February, Dr. Graffigna presented an evidence-based model for patient health engagement. In this contribution, she offers concrete guidelines for integrating new communication technologies into the care process to more effectively engage patients. . Making patient active and engaged in their healthcare is the gold standard in the 21st century health policy and […]
San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC) – the largest military hospital in the nation – recently earned a ‘Most Wired’ designation for the fourth consecutive year. In a news release announcing their recognition for their efforts to apply technology to advance patient care, SAMMC cited their use of a novel system. That technology – an […]