Five Simple Ways to Improve Health Outcomes
Five Simple Ways to Improve Health Outcomes
Despite providers’ best efforts, many patients are not following treatment plans or instructions that would likely lead to healthier outcomes. And it’s not because providers lack the technical acumen or medical experience required to assess a patient’s needs; it’s because the way they’re communicating these messages simply isn’t resonating with patients.
While patients may not be to blame, they are failing to follow provider recommendations today, when they still have 15 minutes with their provider.
What does the future hold?
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, a forecasted shortage of as many as 144,000 physicians is expected by 2032, which likely means even shorter conversations in exam rooms.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, only 12 percent of U.S. adults have proficient health literacy.More than a third of U.S. adults – 77 million people – would have difficulty with common health tasks, such as following directions on a prescription drug label, or adhering to a childhood immunization schedule using a standard chart. Health literacy is defined as “the capacity to seek, understand, and act on health information.”
Limited health literacy
Limited health literacycan lead to lack of compliance, which is associated with poor clinical outcomes, increased hospitalizations, lower quality of life, and higher overall health costs.
There are many reasons patients aren’t hearing or processing the information they hear while in your exam room. From the language we use, to the emotional impact of a new diagnosis on the patient, to varying levels of literacy and understanding, there are a variety of factors that prevent important messages from being fully understood.
Improving provider-patient communication
Here are some practical ways health centers can help remove barriers to understanding for patients – so they can comprehend their condition and treatment plan, and then take positive steps to improve their health.
1. Be conscious of your speech when speaking to patients. Speak slowly and clearly, but not so slowly that it can appear patronizing.
2. Use simple language when talking to patients or providing patient education materials they can take with them. Avoid medical terminology. Using plain, familiar words helps you to be as clear as possible, reducing the risk of misunderstanding. Examples:
o Use “harmful” instead of “adverse”
o Use “swallow” instead of “take”
o Use “belly” instead of “abdomen”
o Use “fats” instead of “lipids”
3. For better understanding of a new diagnosis or condition, provide quality patient education materials that can be referred to after the appointment.
o Patient education materials should use clear, descriptive headings, with small chunks of words that explain, rather than huge blocks of text. Studies show that If the materials include graphics, illustrations, or images that help to explain details, even better.
o Hand these materials to the patient upside down to see if they turn it right side up. This technique can indicate a level of literacy that can inform your next steps.
4. Provide a list of vetted online resources for patients who wish to further explore their diagnosis, condition, or treatment. There is a lot of misinformation on the internet that can further confuse patients.
5. Emphasize availability. Offer the opportunity for patients to ask questions at the end of an appointment. If your practice participates with HIPAA compliant tools like MyChart, remind the patient that additional questions can be posed there as well.
Effective patient education benefits everyone
1. Patient education materials and programs attract patients to the provider, increase satisfaction with their care, and elevate the clinic or health center who invests in them in terms of patient and public perception.
2. Patient education promotes patient-centered care and increases adherence to treatment and medication plans.
3. Increase in compliance leads to more efficient and cost-effective healthcare delivery.
4. Educating patients helps ensure continuity of care, and reduces complications related to the illness.
5. Patient education efforts can also decrease provider liability.