Perhaps the most fundamental principle of “patient-centered care” is for clinicians to understand the patient’s perspective regarding key aspects of a care episode. Here’s a real life example that just happened to my wife and I...
We all play many roles in life .... spouse, employee, sibling, parent, friend, customer, and so on. Each of these roles brings with it its' own unique set of expectations (self-imposed as well as externally imposed - can you say spouse) for how we are supposed to...
I was the keynote speaker recently at a national Patient Engagement Symposium I opened my presentation by asking the audience how many considered themselves to be engaged in their health. You know…just a show of hands. Everyone in the room appeared to put their...
I recently came across an interview with Stephen Beck, MD, Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO) at Catholic Health Partners. Dr. Beck was being interviewed on the subject of patient portals and patient engagement. Here’s a quote from that interview. “While we have...
In a recent email exchange, the physician I was corresponding with wrote “many people [that] go to see doctors are not engaged in their health.” My normal reply would have been “what do you mean not engaged…these people wouldn’t be in the doctor’s office if they...
Did you know that on a typical day in the office seeing patients, the average physician misses hundreds of opportunities to engage, activate patients and excite their patients? Why? It's not because they are too busy. Research shows it is because physicians don't have...
There has been lots of talk about Health IT's "central role" in getting patients more engaged in their own health care. The National eHealth Collaborative, now a part of HIMSS, even went so far as to propose a patient engagement framework built entirely around...
I can’t think of any strategic initiative in recent time with more potential to engage and active patients, improve patient health outcomes and enhance patient experiences than the call by the Institute of Medicine in Crossing the Quality Chasm for providers to become...
Have you noticed all the articles in the health care press lately touting health information technologies’ ability to increase patient medication adherence? Smart phone-based apps, Smart pill bottles and Patient Portals are all about trying to get patients to do...