Patients and families benefit from strategies that empower them to actively participate with clinicians. The nuance of understanding required to support effective healthcare relationships, however, can be hard to achieve when communication styles make it difficult for clinicians and patients to understand each other. In addition to other stresses, English spoken with regional or foreign […]
Patient engagement is often described in the context of shared decision-making or health literacy. Engaged patients educate themselves, ask questions and make informed choices: Which approach to cancer treatment is right for me? How can I change my diet to improve my health? What do I need to know to ensure I’m managing my parents’ […]
For me, a yoga mat and foam roller count as professional tools. They also represent my personal commitment to patient engagement. I’ve worked as a writer and editor for a long time and, most days, spend hours sitting at the computer. That and other things I sometimes overdo—gardening, dancing, life in general—lead to aches and […]
For years this blog has been discussing the value and legitimacy of engaging patients as a path to better care. Yet we don’t see a stampede of people—providers or patients—rushing to do it. Why not? I’ve been advocating for participatory medicine for years, more than 500 events in 15 countries. Through that experience, I’ve observed […]
Emotions are messy. No one taught me about that in medical school; I thought only psychiatrists had to deal with emotions. I was going to be an internist; I’d only have to deal with emotions if something really bad happened. Not that anyone taught me how to cope with the really bad stuff. In my […]
The patient safety movement and efforts to honor patients’ preferences emphasize the importance of skillful communication on the part of physicians and other clinicians. Less attention has been paid to the effect of patients’ communication skills. In addition to catching errors, patients can use effective communication skills to improve their health and the medical services […]
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: Iora Health was named 2016 John Q. Sherman Award for Excellence in Patient Engagement winner for Dartmouth Health Connect, an innovative project that is transforming the way healthcare is delivered. The model has eliminated fee-for-service and is transforming traditional care: Instead, the practice focuses on building partnerships and deep relationships with patients. Their […]
Editor’s Note: This is Part II of Setting the Standard for Engaging and Activating Patients detailing a new standard for communication Dr. Scaletta and his team created to improve patient engagement at every touch point. My healthcare system closed calendar year 2015 on a high note. We trained 7,000 employees and medical staff across our […]
A few years ago, I was upgraded to First Class on a flight from California back to Chicago. Not long after I settled in, a tall, muscular man easily four inches taller than me walked up to my aisle seat in the first row and prepared to sit by the window. I envisioned him spending […]