How Physicians and Patients can Collaborate to Improve the Office Visit

How Physicians and Patients can Collaborate to Improve the Office Visit

There are many things that both physicians and patients can do to add value to the office visit and improve care.

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An efficient and effective office visit goes a long way in improving care and enhancing the physician-patient relationship. However, communication between the primary care physician and the patient seems to be approaching crisis mode, the main reason being the limited time available for an office visit. The 20-minute or shorter medical visit offers little time to provide good healthcare, with the mandatory EHR data entry making things worse. While family

practice

medical

transcription

companies

continue

to

help

with

physicians’

documentation tasks, there are many things that both physicians and patients can do to add value to the office visit.

Communication Tips for Practitioners •

Establish the patient’s major priorities: A article published by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) in 2008 reported that between 30 percent and 80 percent of patients' expectations are not met in routine primary care visits. The physician should establish the patient's priorities and what will be addressed during that visit.

•

Maintain face-to-face communication: Face-to-face encounters are the crux of the patient-clinician relationship, though electronic health records (EHRs) have made this harder to maintain. Studies have found that patient adherence to treatment recommendations

improves

with

face-to-face

communication

and

education.

Outsourcing medical transcription is a viable option to manage documentation demands in the current high-tech, metric-driven health care scenario.

•

Don't rush the patient: The most common complaint patients have is that physicians don’t listen to them. One reason why physicians rush patients is that they may have little control over their schedule, with the focus being on seeing as many patients as possible during a day. Typing could also prove a distraction. One strategy is to read back history as you type – this will help with listening. Maintaining eye contact is also a direct and powerful means of nonverbal communication.

•

Give older patients more time: The communication process with older adults is more complex as they may have problems such as hearing disabilities, decline in memory, slower comprehension abilities and less control over their lives. Physicians need to set aside more time for older patients and make allowances for these barriers to communication. Speaking slowly and clearly is important to ensure that they understand instructions.

•

Use visual aids: Visual aids could be a good strategy to build patient engagement during a short office visit. Using charts, pictures, slides, and other visual tools at the

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consult improves communication and helps patients better understand their condition and treatment. If online tools are used, patients with Internet access can check out the same information outside of the office as well.

•

Allow patients to ask questions: The office encounter must include some question time for patients. This will allow the physician to determine whether they have understood the instructions and information provided. Patients can voice any concerns they may have and the physician can clear their doubts. Giving patients written instructions in a simple and easy-to-follow format can promote compliance treatment plan.

Now let’s see what patients can do to make the office visit a productive one: •

Make a list of concerns: Patients can make a list of their concerns based on priority and bring it along with them. This can save time and add focus to the visit.

•

Bring along a loved one or caregiver: Patients who are nervous may not be able to pay attention to what the doctor is saying. This can be addressed by having an informed person accompany them.

A loved one or caregiver can make notes of the

instructions and also provide the physician with valuable information about the patient.

•

Prioritize problems: Patients with multiple concerns should prioritize what worries them the most. This will allow the physician to focus on addressing that. They should also speak up if there is anything they do not understand during the history, exam, medications, and explanation of the action plan.

Collaborative decision-making is the key to a successful physician-patient relationship and productive office visit. With support to ensure accurate EHR documentation, medical transcription companies play a key role in ensuring accurate and timely physicians’ notes for coordination and continuity of care.

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