Healthcare providers and patients need to work together for the highest level of healthcare. This partnership allows for the best health outcomes and patient experiences. How can these two parties build a partnership?
Open and Honest Communication
Patients must feel comfortable talking to their doctors about anything. They shouldn’t hesitate to ask questions or discuss their preferences when it comes to their healthcare. Patients should also talk to their doctors to establish goals of care.
Healthcare providers need to listen to their patients, explain things so patients understand, and genuinely work to understand the patient’s needs. They need to look at things from the patient’s perspective. When both parties communicate, they can make decisions together. The doctor explains the options and their benefits and drawbacks. The patient can then decide which option is best for them. By partnering with Weatherby Healthcare, patients can have more say over their health.
Trust
However, a patient won’t be willing to communicate with their healthcare providers if they don’t trust them. The patient needs to feel as if the provider has their best interests at heart. They want the doctor to always act with integrity. The provider must be compassionate and respect the patient’s autonomy. In addition, they must follow through on their commitments. As the patient’s trust in the doctor grows, they will share more about their symptoms and their concerns. When they do so, the provider will be able to deliver care that is effective and personalized.
Continuity of Care
A patient needs to see the same doctor to feel comfortable with the relationship. When they must bounce from provider to provider, the relationships remain superficial. The doctor won’t fully understand the patient’s health history, lifestyle, and other factors that might affect their health. The patient and doctor develop a mutual understanding that is beneficial to proactive care planning.
Shared Goals
The doctor and patient need to work together to set realistic goals that are meaningful to the patient. Once these goals have been decided on, the two work together to create a plan that will allow the patient to achieve these goals. Lifestyle modifications might be part of this plan, while some patients need medication management. Other interventions might also be included.
The development of the plan is only the beginning. The patient and doctor regularly need to review the patient’s progress and see if changes need to be made to the plan. Doing so reinforces the collaboration between the two.
Patient Education
Patients have better outcomes when they understand their health conditions and how to manage them. The doctor must explain the condition in terms the patient understands and the treatment options available to them. In addition, the doctor needs to outline the patient’s role in their health. When a patient has this information, they can make informed decisions and take a more active role in their care. When explaining things to a patient, the doctor should use plain language and pull out visual aids so the patient can see what they are talking about. Teach-back methods are also effective in ensuring the patient understands what is being said.
Mutual Respect
Both parties in this collaboration must respect one another and share a commitment to the patient’s well-being. Doctors need to understand that patients know more about themselves than the doctor ever could. The doctor must honor the patient’s autonomy while the patient must take a role in their care. When both parties adopt this mindset, health outcomes and patient satisfaction improve.
This collaborative partnership doesn’t happen overnight. Both parties must work to develop and nurture it. When they do, the benefits are enormous. Health literacy increases as does self-efficacy. The patient will also be more inclined to stick with the treatment plan. Providers get to know their patients better so they can provide a higher level of care. The doctor and patient work together for better health, which is vital today.
