Dr Elena P.’s Post

Highlighting the importance of relationship with patients in the Healthcare Field.

Shared decision making between doctors and patients can be good, Emily Oster and Nathan Fox write—but not the way we’re doing it. https://lnkd.in/gKK9yAY5 Many patients today may arrive at their doctor’s office with folders of cobbled-together ideas of their possible diagnoses—ideas gleaned from Google, WebMD, friends, and elsewhere. “Meanwhile, doctors have clinical knowledge, but they may struggle—especially given their limited time—to engage with their patients’ ideas and guide them.” “Not long ago, medical decision making was largely left to doctors,” the authors write. “Patients were a passive bunch, arriving at the doctor with their concerns and symptoms, and departing with their doctor’s orders.” A shift toward “shared decision making” sees “patients and doctors, together, sharing the burden of making consequential health choices. This approach sounds great in principle. Shouldn’t patients be involved in decision making about their own health?” “In practice, though, shared decision making can be a source of frustration and confusion, for both sides,” the authors continue. “From the patient side, it can feel like doctors are either expecting too much engagement … or not listening and not taking the patient’s ideas and preferences seriously,” while doctors can face “patients who do not want to engage with the decision, and with those who do but are unwilling to listen to expert advice.” “Two things are missing from this conversation,” Oster and Fox write: “some common knowledge, and a script.” “First, patients cannot engage with shared decision making if they do not understand the basics of their condition,” the authors explain. “Patients should do some homework before they go to the doctor’s office.” And given the limited time in the doctor’s office, questions should be prioritized “where the answers matter for decisions.” “In the best form of this conversation, the doctor brings a deep understanding of what might be going on medically with the patient, the range of possible tests, and what those tests might reveal to the patient,” Oster and Fox continue. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gKK9yAY5

In a new study published by Health Affairs, researchers analyzed 2022 Medicare claims and found that female physicians, primary care physicians, psychiatrists, and urban practices would be most impacted by telehealth policy changes. As Congress considers extending, modifying, or allowing Medicare telehealth waivers to expire, this study provides valuable insights into the potential consequences of policy decisions. Read the full study here: https://brnw.ch/21wNNyF

"Medicine is the science by which we learn the various states of the body; in health, when not in health; the means by which health is likely to be lost; and, when lost, is likely to be restored. In other words, it is the art whereby health is concerned and the art by which it is restored after being lost." The Canon of Medicine (1025 AC), Abu Ali Ibn Abdallah Ibn Sina (Avicaena) The book that was used as the standard medical textbook in Europe until the 18th century, over 700 years!  And there was no mention that a doctor should spend more time typing symbols into silicon machines than with a patient. No mention of the fact that up to 35% of a doctor's time should be spent pressing buttons on a keyboard, dragging down the quality of service, the productivity of healthcare institutions and the burnout of practitioners. The good news:  AI-Powered Clinical Assistant returns interactions Between Practitioners and Patients. Doctors are back to the art of healing from routine of typing. Generally available in the US for ambulatory clinics, the solution combines voice with generative AI to help eliminate EHR clicks, reduce provider burnout, and improve quality of care. “Oracle Clinical Digital Assistant is the most important EHR technology update that I am going to see in my career. Since the 1990’s, EHR’s have turned physicians into keyboard junkies. This will change that,” said James Little, MD, primary care physician, St. John’s Health. “Our physicians who have been using this technology have been able to document their patients’ visit in real-time, allowing them to leave at the end of the day with good, quality notes. Time spent after hours documenting is no longer needed.” https://lnkd.in/dzkwVMap   Details: https://lnkd.in/dd5y56JV https://lnkd.in/dyPUrysb

Chronic conditions rise, we need more efficient tools to engage patients, because outcomes fall without patient commitment. While patients’ appetite for virtual health tools has increased steadily in recent years, some physicians are unsure about how to best use the technology in a clinical setting. Others worry about losing the human connection that is integral to in-person care and patient-doctor relationships. Quite simply, virtual health has the potential to inform, personalize, accelerate, and augment people’s ability to care for one another. Virtual health can only be effective if it retains a human element to care delivery. Patients must see it as an enhancement to care, rather than an impersonal impediment. Striking this balance will require input from physicians, frontline clinicians, and patients. Let me know what are your thoughts about it?

In the healthcare industry, patient education and the inclusion of patient voices are not just valuable—they're essential! If you haven't experienced the diagnosis journey, the physical and mental challenges of living with the condition, how do you know what will best support patients? Including patients ensures that the end product truly meets their needs. When patients share their experiences and insights, they provide invaluable perspectives, supporting the development of solutions that actually supports patients which can lead to positive outcomes such as informed decision making and increased compliance. When developing educational resources and digital solutions for patients, do you include the patient voice? #patientvoice #patientengagement #patienteducation #digitalsolutions #pharma #health #healthinformation #treatmentcompliance

Digital transformation is slowly and gradually reshaping the clinical practice In a recent discussion with my colleague, a practicing diabetologist, I was excited to see how digital tools are gradually being integrated into daily clinical practice. The adoption of these solutions adds significant value in several ways: 1.Continuous glucose monitoring allows for remote patient monitoring and timely adjustments to treatment. 2.Patients report high satisfaction due to increased confidence, time savings, and improved treatment quality. 3.A patient-centric approach provides a competitive edge. However, adoption is slow due to: 1. Lack of organized real-world evidence causing skepticism. 2. Need for healthcare professionals to upskill, which takes time. 3. Some patients, particularly the elderly, being reluctant to use digital tools. What do you think about the integration of digital tools into day-to-day clinical practice? #HealthcareInnovation #DigitalHealth #Physicians #ClinicalPractice #HealthTech #PatientCare

"Hot areas currently include: revenue cycle (especially specialty) and cost containment (especially oncology) as the clear one-two leaders; remote patient monitoring/chronic care management; payer tech in general; behavioral health (especially partial hospitalization program/intensive outpatient program and applied behavior analysis); site management organizations and derivatives (trials administration, recruiting, real-world evidence); and medspa (although multiples have cooled off a bit) and adjacent wellness plays," writes Rebecca Springer, PhD.

The behavioral healthcare field has not adequately defined its accountability for clinical results. Measurement-Based Care (MBC), a key solution, needs greater clarity since many things pass as MBC today. Market forces continually push vendors to sell cheaper products, so we must specify MBC’s essential components to determine the adequacy of products and services sold as MBC. Proposed standards exist, including my own, but vendors of MBC products are the most important parties to such a discussion. Setting standards is neither mandatory nor official, so business consensus among competitors is the primary goal. While protecting MBC’s essence is vital, businesses should still be able to use another label to sell products that do not meet MBC criteria. Clinicians have long resisted MBC, and some still seek to dilute it. The resulting delays in MBC adoption are unacceptable. Ironically, some misgivings will be allayed only when clinicians see functional and effective MBC systems. The healthcare industry similarly needs tangible evidence that MBC produces accountability—behavioral services might then appear more valuable to them. Unfortunately, vendors could prefer open competition to consensus on MBC, leaving the field with conflicting standards, mismatched products, and uncertain credibility. See more 200-word essays on my website: https://lnkd.in/gNn9_-my

Virginia’s Largest FQHC Implements eClinicalWorks and Sunoh.ai to Combat Physician Burnout : #uncategorised - Physician burnout has emerged as a critical issue in healthcare, significantly impacting both providers and patient care. A study by the American Medical Association (AMA) revealed that 63% of physicians experienced burnout in 2022, an alarming rise from 38% in 2020. This issue is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment, often exacerbated by administrative burdens such as documentation and EHR management. MEDPULSE AI Read More ▶️ https://buff.ly/3OwTlMg 💡 #MedPulseAI #AIinHealthcare #AIinMedicine