What do health literacy, health communication, shared decision-making, patient education and patient engagement have in common? They all focus on the individual patient being an essential part of the healthcare system, which is a step in the right direction, given the paternalistic past of healthcare. Too often, these fields are seen as distinct efforts, each […]
The recent emphasis on patient-centered care places a demand for quality information on both sides of the medical relationship. Physicians and nurses are tasked with communicating effectively in ever-smaller time segments. Patients must describe their symptoms and treatment progress and ask any pertinent questions in the same shrinking time frame. Additionally, some patients must work […]
In an earlier post, we discussed how patients might feel stupid when faced with a medical crisis. Medical professionals can help patients feel knowledgeable and reverse that feeling, which will increase patient satisfaction and improve the organization’s bottom line. Today, patients are smarter and better informed than ever before. Access to information—reliable or not—is as […]
How do we improve patient satisfaction and experience while reducing overall healthcare costs? Create knowledgeable patients. As reported in Modern Healthcare, a study published in 2013 found that patients who feel they have the “knowledge, skills and confidence to make healthy choices and informed medical decisions were less costly than those who felt they lacked […]
Since October is Health Literacy Month, this is a good time to look at how addressing health literacy can help healthcare organizations advance patient engagement. An individual’s “health literacy” refers to their capacity to find and use information and services to take care of their health.[1] A “health literate healthcare organization” refers to an organization […]
Informed consent for any medical procedure is a critical patient care process. When properly performed, the informed consent process provides a patient with the information needed to make rational decisions and promotes patient autonomy. Many studies have documented limitations in current informed consent methodologies. These limitations include poor comprehension, inadequate time for discussion, poor documentation […]
Editor’s note: This week’s guest contribution comes from NPSF President Tejal Gandhi’s blog which looks at health literacy through the lens of patient safety, offering health care professionals guidance in becoming better communicators. If you’ve ever misheard a conversation or misread directions, you know the pitfalls of written and spoken language. Messages are not […]
By the year 2020, over 157 million people will have chronic diseases and will be seeking medical care1. When you add this to the fact that there is a shortage of primary care providers, healthcare coaches become an integral part of population health. I am a pharmacist with a burning passion to empower patients. I […]
Editor’s introduction: A serious gap exists between what providers intend to convey and what patients and families understand.The fact is the lack of health literacy costs the U.S. more than $100 billion annually, according to the Victor Dzau, president of the Institute of Medicine. Speaking at the IOM’s Roundtable on Health Literacy, which was convened […]
Earlier this year, the National Patient Safety Foundation’s Lucian Leape Institute issued a report about how critical patient and family engagement is for ensuring patient safety. Health literacy problems continue to be one of the barriers to effective patient partnerships. With Health Literacy Month in progress, there is no better time to learn more about […]