Patient Engagement Is A Physician-Patient Communication Challenge…Not A Health Information Technology Challenge

There is no app for engaging patients in their own health care absent a strong doctor-patient relationship.

Physicians, hospitals and other providers are being misled by  industry pundits claiming that more health information technology (as in EMRs, PHRs, Smart Phone apps, and web portals) is the key to greater patient engagement.   It’s not.

If health information technology were all that was needed to “engage” patients then  patient and member adoption rates of provider and payer web portals offering Personal Health Records (PHRs) and Electronic Health Records (EHRs) would not still be hovering around a disappointing 7% (with  several notable exceptions Kaiser, Group Health and the VA).*

Part of the misunderstanding concerning the role of HIT comes from how the discussion about patient engagement is being framed.  According to the pundits, patient engagement is the physician or hospital’s responsibility… and like everything else these days…we can fix it if we just throw more technology at the problem.   Can anyone say Stage 2 Meaningful Use requirements?

Here’s Why HIT Will Not Solve The Patient Engagement Challenge  

The role of physicians, hospitals and other providers is not so much one of needing to  engage patients in their care.  Rather, providers need to “be more engaging” to patients who are already actively engaged in their health.

Here’s What I Mean…

Take the simple act of a trip to the doctor’s office.  Before a person shows up at the doctor’s office they have to 1) have a reason or need (symptoms, a concern, chronic condition), 2) they have to believe that the need or reason merits seeing the doctor vs. taking care of it at home themselves – this generally implies cognition and doing research, i.e., talking with friends, going on line, etc.,  3) make the appointment (by calling or going online and 4) show up for the appointment, and 5) think about what they want to say to the doctor.   The point here is that by definition, people who show up for a doctor’s appointment are already engaged!

Now providers tend to not consider the patient’s perspective when it comes to engagement.  For most providers, i.e. physicians and hospitals, engagement means getting patients to do what providers say is in their best interest…what I say is right.   But that approach totally dismisses the fact that, as I have shown, that patients are already engaged…just not in the same way that providers expect.

Whether patients remain engaged by the time they leave the doctor’s office, and to what extent, are the questions we should be asking.   For example, how “engaged” would readers here find it if they went to their doctor only to have the doctor 1) not ask why they are there (fears and concerns) or worse yet ignore the fears and concerns which they describe to the doctor, 2) disagree with the doctor as to the visit priority and how to diagnose and treat it, including for example being prescribed medication when you don’t want to take pills or 3) found out that you knew more about your problem and how to deal with it than your doctor?

The Point?

The point is that providers need to be engaging to patients in their demeanor, attitudes, and how they talk with and listen to patients.   Doctors need to know who the patient is, what their fears, concerns and expectations are and what the patient is able and will to do.   Meaningful patient engagement, the kind that leads to long term health behavior change, begins with patient-centered, interpersonal relationships  between patients and their doctors.   As far as I know, we don’t have an app for that.

That’s what I think.  What’s your opinion?

Source:

* John Moore, Chilmark Research

For more information on patient engagement, email me for a copy of my latest white paper on Patient Engagement in Primary Care  or fill out the online form  on my blog.

Patient Engagement – Here’s Why It’s So Hard For Health Care Providers

E-mail me at stwilkins at gmail.com for a complimentary copy of my Patient Engagement White Paper

Three Reasons Why Doctors Need To Spend More Time Talking and Listening To Their Patients

Since most physicians probably will not be able to get beyond the first couple of lines of this post without yelling at the monitor…I will get to the 3 reasons…and if you stick with me …I’ll present my case for why they are so important.

1. Your visits will be more productive…and shorter
2. You will be a better diagnostician and a much better doctor
3. Your patients will sing your praises to all their friends and family

Reason #1- Your visits will be more productive…and shorter.

Physician experts argue that the best way to improve productivity and time management during the office visit is by improving the way physicians talk with their patients.  Most of you are probably screaming this is not possible because patients:

• Show up with 3-4 complaints/visit
• Just want a “quick fix “or prescription
• Are unfocused and make rambling opening statements
• Appear totally disinterested and unengaged
•  Won’t do what I tell them

Let’s stipulate that all these arguments are true.

Now suspend your judgment for a moment and consider this.

Where is it that patients are taught how they are supposed to behave when in the presence of their doctor?   Have you ever talked to them about such things?  Do you imagine their previous doctors advised them about such things?  Is there a school people are supposed to go to learn how to talk productively with your doctor?

The fact is that patients aren’t taught these things….ever.  They learn these behaviors through the school of hard knocks.  We have all been socialized from childhood to assume the “passive, subservient “sick role” in the presence of our doctors.  That’s not anyone’s fault…it is just the reality of the way health care have evolved.

Now imagine there was a school for patients where they learned things like how the medical interview is structured, what patients can do to prepare for their visit, why time is limited, how to make the best use of the time available, and so on. Then imagine you reinforcing these “learning” at each of your patient visits through repetition, encouragement, and changes in your communication behavior.  In relatively short order patients would begin to “reciprocate“your behavior with the behavior you desire…and viola you have set the stage for shorter, more productive (and organized visits).

Reason #2- You will be a better diagnostician and a much better doctor

Sir William Osler, a founding father of modern medicine, once said “Listen to the patient – they will tell you what’s wrong.”  Numerous other luminaries have said that a doctor’s patient communication skills (talking and listening) are as important as their clinical skills and knowledge.  Talking and listening is how physicians arrive at the correct diagnosis and treatment.  Strong patient communication skills are needed to engage and activate patients.   Talking and listening is therapeutic and to patients.

Some patients will get better with a commonsense explanation of their difficulties; others for some unknown reason remain unchanged. Some patients will respond to friendliness on the part of their physician; others require a more formal attitude. Some can establish rapport with their physician even though they appreciate his intellectual shortcomings.       M. Balint 1957

As physicians come to rely upon EMRs, there is a risk that the computer will come between the patient and physician.  This will result in even less “talking and listening” between patients and physicians, more   disengaged patients, and even poorer outcomes.

Reason #3 – Your patients will sing your praises to all their friends and family  

Let’s face it…with few exceptions…most physicians’ patient communication skills need improvement.   Poor physician communications skills top the list of complaints patients have about their doctor, i.e., physicians that don’t listen, physicians that ignore what they have to say, physicians that don’t provide enough information, and so on.    Many of us have never been exposed to a physician with superlative patient communication skills.   We don’t know what we are missing.

Given how “average” most physician communication skills are…. imagine how easy it would be for a physician with good communication skills (patient-centered) to compete with other physicians in your group or local market.  Soon such physicians will also be rewarded for their ability to create exceptional patient experiences simply by virtue of their ability to talk and listen to patients.

Is what I talk about here counter intuitive…yes.  Does it requires some out of the box thinking…definitely.   Do I have a solution for helping patients and physicians accomplish what I talk about here.   Absolutely.   Contact me to learn more.

That’s my opinion…what’s yours?

 Sources:

Electronic Medical Records and Communication with Patients and Other Clinicians: Are We Talking Less?  Center for Study of Health System Change. Issue Brief. April 2010.

Balint, M. The doctor, his patient and the illness, Inter-national Universities Press, New York, 1957.

Rosenow, E., Patients’ Understanding of and Compliance With Medications:  The Sixth Vital Sign. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. August 2005.

Cene, C., et al. The Effect of Patient Race and Blood Pressure Control on Patient-Physician Communication. Journal of General Internal Medicine. July 3, 2009. 24(9):1057–64.

When It Comes To Patient Engagement…It’s The Little Things That Count

I did a dumb thing a couple of weeks ago.   I fell off a ladder on to a cement floor and broke some ribs.

I went to the local ER, was x-rayed, and went home.   There’s nothing they do for broken ribs these days it seems.   The treating Physician’s Assistant told me she had notified my primary care doctor of my fall and resulting injuries.   Mind you this is the same primary care physician who was aware of my 3 recent retinal detachments, major surgeries (Vitrectomies), and prolonged recovery from these events.

It’s been a month since I feel off the ladder….and in all that time I haven’t heard a peep from my personal physician.  That bothers me.

It’s not like I had a problem that needed follow-up…but it would have been nice – perhaps even prudent – for his office to call and see how I was doing.   Why?  The fact that he didn’t call just reminds me that my physician really doesn’t think or care very much about me – as a patient or a person.   Either that or he has yet to read the ER report of my injury from 4 week ago.

In truth everyone I have spoken to about this has had a similar experience.  This is unfortunate for patients and the medical profession.   As patient’s we are continually reminded that physicians don’t have time for us or our problems.  We chide ourselves for not looking for a new doctor in the hope that things might be better.   For their part,  medical professionals meanwhile are clueless why their patients are not as engaged in their health or adherent as they should be.

Want to Engage Your Patients?  Act Like You Care

We all know primary care physicians are very busy and not properly reimbursed for all the work they do.  We also know you all had mothers that “taught you better.”  We all had those same mothers.  Mine used to tell us kids that you “catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.”

If you really want to blow the socks off even the most jaded of patients….call them up and ask them how they are doing.  Start with a phone call – it’s more personal than an e-mail.  Just tell the patient that you “know there not ever enough time during office visits to show you care…so when you had a free minute you wanted to remedy that.”

Start with your chronic and frail patients – one call is all you need.  Do this one simple  albeit time consumer thing and your outcomes ill improve, patient adherence will improve, patient satisfaction and loyalty will improve…and you will feel better about yourself.  Think of it as a long-term investment.

You need more proof?  Calculate the ROI of buying and installing an EMR system and hiring a care coordinator and then compare it to the cost of making a single phone call to your sickest patients.   When you compare the saving from the EMR and the cost of your time to make the phone calls….you will be amazed that you didn’t do it sooner!

This ain’t rocket science!  Go out now and make your Mamma proud!

That’s my opinion…what’s yours?

If you like this post you will love my White Paper on Patient Engagement send me your email and I get you a copy.

Sources:

Stein, T., Nagy, V.T., Jacobs, L. (1998). Caring for Patients One Conversation at a Time : Permanente Journal, 2(4), 62-68.

ACO Success Will Depend Upon The Patient-Centered Communication Skills Of Providers

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and “bundled payments” are set to play a central role in the Affordable Care Act.  Under accountable care, physicians and hospitals would be paid out of a “single payment” from CMS or health insurers for all the care needed to treat a clinically defined “episode of care” like a heart attack.   The premise is that bundle payments will incentivize physicians and hospitals to deliver more efficient, high quality care.

Much has been written about the health information technology infrastructure needed to support ACOs.  Experts also underscore the need for providers (physicians and hospitals) to get patients with conditions like heart failure more engaged in prevention and self-care.  After all, as much as 90% of the “care” for chronic conditions like heart failure is provided by the patient and their care givers at home.  But effectively engaging patients has been a difficult nut to crack for health care providers.

What Can ACO Providers Do To Increase Patient Engagement?

Here’s the short answer – improve the quality of communications between physicians and patients.  After all, physician-patient communications is how most patients are diagnosed and treated.

The degree to which patients and physicians agree on key aspects of the diagnosis and treatment is said to be an indicator of communication effectiveness.  Disagreements such as the nature or severity of a medical condition or the need for a new medication represent a breakdown in physician-patient communications.  Such breakdowns are common and are closely associated with patient behavioral issues such as non-compliance, excessive health care use, and decreased satisfaction.

High levels of physician-patient agreement are linked with more desirable patient outcomes and behavior.  Physicians that use a patient-centered style of communication tend to report much higher levels of agreement with their patients on critical diagnosis and treatment issues.

The Current State of Physician-Patient Communications

A 2011 study of patients diagnosed with a heart condition, and being seen in a public hospital cardiology clinic, illustrates the scope of the communication problems facing not just ACOs…but all health care providers today.

In the study, 55% of patients diagnosed with heart failure did not recognize (nor agree with their doctor) that they had heart failure.  Even more disconcerting was the finding that “only 15% of those with hypertension agreed with their doctor’s diagnosis.”

Physician-Patient Disagreement And A Lack of Patient-Centered Communication Are Greatest Amongst Population Groups That Are The Sickest And Most In Need

African-Americans experience heart failure at a rate this is 20 times higher than their white counterparts.  Physicians that treat blacks are less likely, according to researchers, to use a patient-centered communication style.

Numerous studies have revealed that when treating black patients, as opposed to white patients, physicians tend to “provide less health information, are more physician-directed (versus patient-centered), spend less time building a rapport with patients, and are more verbally dominant.“  In other words, the patients that are in greatest need for patient-centered communications, and the benefits it provides, are presently the least likely to receive it.  The lack of high quality patient-centered communication is not limited to minority groups.  An estimated 60% of practicing physicians use a physician-directed communication style.

 The Take Away?

Needless to say, the quality of physician-patient communications in the U.S. does not bode well for the success of ACOs.  Health plans, physician groups and hospitals looking to realize the financial benefits of bundled payments and accountable care should give serious consideration to investing in benchmarking tools and communications interventions that will measurably improve the quality of physician-patient communication both in the office and hospital.

That’s my opinion…what’s yours?

Sources:

Cené, C. et al. The Effect of Patient Race and Blood Pressure Control on Patient-Physician Communication. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2009. 24(9):1057–64

Sarkar, U. et al. Patient-physicians’ information exchange in outpatient cardiac care: time for a heart to heart? Patient Education and Counseling. 2011. Nov;85(2):173-9.

Johnson, R. et al. Patient race/ethnicity and quality of patient-physician communication during medical visits. American Journal of Public Health, 2004. 94(12), 2084-90.