S4 - E24.5 - SurfingMASH Question of The Week: Keys to Improving Provider-Patient Communication

Two weeks ago, the SurfingMASH Question of the Week asked, "What structural or educational changes do you anticipate will significantly improve Provider-Patient communication? Will these changes require more from the provider and more from the patient?" Today, S5 E23 panelists Mike Betel and José Willemse join Roger Green to review the three answers we received. 

Of the three questions from audience members, one from a patient/patient advocate suggested greater honesty, better listening, and, if possible, either longer appointments or better care team engagement. The second, from another patient, discussed being more honest about the Quality of Life impact of immunological drugs, along with ways to manage these drugs better. The third, from a public health official in Argentina, discussed increasing the use of multidisciplinary teams to educate and empower individuals around healthy habits and lifestyles. 

To Mike, these answers all convey the need for "tailored care," a care and engagement process suited to each patient's individual situation in terms of disease(s) and quality of life needs and issues. He also suggests that pharmaceutical companies help educate physicians on these issues while discussing the disease and use of their medicines. 

José notes that it might not be possible to get more time for a visit, but the physician could improve the visit immensely by asking patients true open-ended questions about their feelings and concerns and then actively listening to their answers. She also suggests that physicians not act like they are time-compressed. If physicians act more leisurely, patients will be more comfortable, even if they do not take up more time. 

Roger suggests that the format of physician protocols and instructions might be part of the problem. If the physicians are evaluated by their employers based on their ability to work through an entire checklist in 15 minutes, they will focus first on the clock and second on the checklist. This will not leave time for patient questions and, even worse, will leave the patient afraid to take up any more of the physician's time than is necessary. Thus no true communication develops. 

Mike goes back to a point that José made during the original episode: physicians should close their computer screens and look at the patients. Roger goes back to the question about immunosuppressants to ask whether providers can assess patients' abilities to manage medications that cause or exacerbate depression and then offer advice and perhaps antidepressants as appropriate. 

Given all these emotive patient needs, José suggests that patient support groups have tremendous value, and Roger notes the presence of online support structures like HOPE from Sober Livers (Season 5 Episode 18). After asking where to find resources for these kinds of activities (particularly in less wealthy parts of the world), the conversation ends.