The importance of adopting a patient-centered approach in healthcare

They say that a good medical practitioner treats an ailment but a great one manages the patient’s health outcomes.

The Healthcare sector is evolving in terms of patient-doctor dynamics. As patients become more inquisitive and gain better access to information through technology, their capability to understand medical treatment goes beyond the ‘what to do’ and is now interested in the ‘why’ as well.

With the growth of technology, consumers in all sectors, healthcare included, have become more proactive in researching for themselves and making informed decisions. Especially in the last three years, with the evolution of the healthcare eco-system, patients have started actively managing their own health through integrated digital platforms that allow for better monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment of ailments.

We have seen interesting trends where patients opt for more outcome-based healthcare services, which reward care providers for placing the patient’s health, comfort and overall satisfaction above all. Embracing this trend benefits all stakeholders as it will improve the quality of care provided and focus on collaborative health outcomes, thus improving the quality of life for patients.

Here are a few areas I believe should be considered when developing a patient-centric approach -

1. Creating an open channel of communication using technology

?The Patient-Doctor dynamic has always been linear in nature, limited to the interactions when the patient visits the hospital or clinic for an appointment. This traditional relationship has its drawbacks as patients grow more informed and curious about their role in the treatment. By creating an open channel of communication, through direct messaging platforms, video chat facilities, and online access to medical records, we can bring more collaboration into the health equation

2. Customizing health plans and treatment based on the individual patient

Just as the healthcare sector grows more complex and nuanced, so too do the needs of individual patients. Traditionally, there would be a proven treatment that is prescribed to all the patients suffering from a particular ailment, primarily due to limited access to historical data about the patient. Thanks to technology, care providers can now offer personalized, customized diagnoses and treatment for patients based on the data available.

?3. Empowering patients in decision-making for managing their health

As with any consumer, patients value making an informed decision while managing their ailment. Patient centricity allows care providers to empower their patients to manage their own health and wellbeing, actively involving them, within reason, in the decision-making process for their treatment. By building a sense of independence in them, doctors can help patients identify the various choices they can take to ensure the best recovery.

4. Addressing the demand for preventive rather than a curative approach to healthcare

The optimum end outcome for both parties in a doctor-patient dynamic should be to reduce the need for and frequency of their interactions. By adopting patient-centricity, we take an important step towards creating a preventive rather than curative approach to healthcare for the patient as lifestyles can be monitored, symptoms can be identified and communicated, and treatment can be administered more effectively than ever before.

The patient-centric approach is the future of healthcare as it offers the potential to improve medical outcomes for the most important stakeholder - the patient. By prioritizing feedback and discussion with the patient, medical practitioners are laying the foundation for a more collaborative, customized, and holistic approach to healthcare.

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