For health care professionals, “patient-centric” is the new focus. Health care should engage the patient at all levels, with the goal of achieving better outcomes, reducing ER visits and hospitalizations, improving adoption of healthier practices and increasing the number of satisfied patients.
Communication – between patients and providers, between the health care team, and among family members and caretakers – is key. Yet many worry that this is exactly where things break down, noting that physicians are often anything but patient-centered in their interaction with patients. One critic cited that an estimated two-thirds of physicians employ what is known as a physician-directed or paternalistic style when talking with patients: the physician asks the questions, interrupts the patient as needed, and only provides information the physician thinks the patient needs and is capable of understanding. Another analyst suggested that the fastest way to “disempower, disengage, and de-activate” any patient is the traditional trip to the doctor’s office or the hospital.
In 2012, the quality of the physician-patient experience will make up a sizable percent of Medicare hospital reimbursement. Pay-for performance initiatives mean that individual physician reimbursement may be affected as well. Many organizations are rising to the challenge and creating environments that are truly patient-centric.
For example, in an effort to reach out and engage patients, the Mayo Clinic set up shop in an unlikely spot–the mall. The “Create Your Mayo Clinic Health Experience” in the Mall of America offers shoppers a personalized experience. This is health care beyond the brick-and-mortar confines of a doctor’s office; this space has a sleek, inviting atmosphere and allows visitors to access an interactive library of Mayo Clinic health information. Americans may not want to spend time in a medical waiting room, but they certainly are comfortable spending time in a shopping mall. Meeting them there is an innovative way of thinking about how patients and medical professionals can connect. Encouraging interaction in this environment can promote people to define their own wellness goals, to engage with information that might help them with an open mind and fresh eyes.
If patients don’t have time to get to the mall, they certainly are spending time in their cars. A collaborative effort including Ford and Microsoft is developing a new technology to help drivers monitor health and wellness while in their automobiles. “Doctor in Your Car” seeks to give patients the ability to manage health and wellness on the go. Health data can be collected and monitored, using voice and touch-screen interface combined with biometrical data from wearable devices.
We know that people are turning to the Internet and social media with their health care questions. More people now visit online health sites than go to their doctor’s office for information. While providers have often been often reluctant to embrace social media because of privacy concerns, there is growing evidence that Facebook can greatly boost patient engagement. Facebook accounts no longer are a taboo for physician practices. Two how-to guides for social media use in healthcare were published within the past few months (available from Avvo and CSC). And even conservative organizations are jumping on board: In an effort to engage with returning veterans at the local level, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has set up Facebook pages for each of its medical centers nationwide. By leveraging Facebook, the Department continues to expand access to VA and embrace transparency and two-way conversation. What began with a single Veterans Health Administration Facebook page in 2008 has now produced more than 150 Facebook pages, 64 Twitter feeds, a YouTube channel, a Flickr page, and the “VAntage Point” blog.
New technologies are showing great promise as effective, accessible and inexpensive solutions to a number of chronic health conditions. For example, overweight people who make use of web-based virtual coaches show more commitment to improving their health than those who don’t, according to one study. Online and texting programs are enjoying great success in the treatment of diabetes and high-risk pregnancies. Medical and health care is the third-fastest-growing category of smartphone apps, with the number of downloads for health-related apps in 2012 expected to total 44 million.
Empowering the patient through information and accessibility will improve the delivery of health care, and health IT continues to accelerate the possibilities. It is an exciting time to watch change happen.
