Involving Patients in their healthcare decisions...

We must accept that patients are better equipped and educated. For any diagnosis, patients have already googled their symptoms and have conversations with physicians. This is indeed a good trend. Patients take an effort to understand what they are going through and have the knowledge to discuss it.

Thanks to medical technology and simple, streamlined communication, it has become possible to involve patients in healthcare. When patients are engaged, it becomes quite easy to take a collaborative decision on the procedure. This engagement has a huge positive impact on healthcare outcomes. It vastly improves the satisfaction of care experience for both the patient and physician. It also results in huge cost savings.

Several research in the US has pointed out that engaged patients with chronic disease resulted in significant mortality reductions compared to a control group who only took appropriate medications. This shows the effectiveness of involving patients in their healthcare.

Setting up a collaborative environment

As a physician, are you pondering how to set this communication? Well, it begins with you! It begins with providing a welcoming and inclusive environment, not only for patients but also for their family members. This is where proper attention to communication and time is established.

Simplified Communication

Patients often feel that they are attacked with medical terms that are incomprehensible. This deters them from participating. A patient’s health status must be conveyed in simple terms. While this may seem quite a task at the beginning, studies show that patients instantly catch the interest and also work on their part to equip themselves further.

Visual Aids

Visual aids catch a patient’s attention quickly. Rather than graphs and heavy medical language, diagrams, images, pictures, or even videos, help make complex concepts simple. These visual aids can be leveraged in the decision-making process. This also allows patients to convey easily to their family members and choose the best treatment options.

Peer Support

Patients could be at different levels of communication. Some may feel overwhelmed by having such open conversations. Subscribing them to peer groups would make them feel comfortable, to begin with. They get first-hand information from other patients who have benefitted from this approach.

Engagement increases the involvement of both the physician and the patient in the process of care. Patient insights and lived experiences can ensure that healthcare systems and programs align with their priorities, address their needs, and are delivered in an accessible manner.

But the physician should always be aware that a significant amount of responsibility and risk lies on them. But this should not deter this approach. The healthcare system should work to support both physicians and patients to effectively collaborate and engage.