Page 39 - Delaware Medical Journal - March/April 2019
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PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
Ask open-ended questions. Ask patients what steps they think they could take to improve compliance. “The idea is for the patient to come up with factors on their own that will motivate them to change,” says Bernard.
Support the patient’s insights. If it sounds as though the patient has hit on a good motivation, support it by repeating their suggestion back to them and asking about a
Assess the strategy’s likely success. It’s OK to ask patients how likely
“If people say 70 percent or more, they probably really will do it. Otherwise, ask for reasons why they don’t want to” and adjust to a new strategy as needed, says Bernard.
Don’t get impatient. You may not see success right away — so unless the patient’s behavior needs to be adjusted immediately, feel free to tell him or her to give the ideas you’ve developed some thought, says Bernard. However, don’t forget to come back to the subject at the next visit.
ENGAGEMENT THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
More and more physicians are helping patient engagement along by offering telehealth visits or setting their patients up with
remote monitoring devices to keep chronic conditions in check. However, given the costs involved, these technology-based solutions tend to be more accessible to physicians
For smaller, independent practices, “the number one question is, how am I going to make money on this?” says Jack Berberian, CEO of SecureNetMD, a health IT company in Lewes. “Although everyone wants to they’re not going to be in business.”
Thankfully, there is a trend among insurers to recognize the cost-saving and outcome- example, last year, Medicare authorized CPT code 99091 as a way to reimburse physicians with a monthly fee for remote
patient monitoring, says Berberian. Some private insurers have also started to reimburse physicians for remote monitoring, and there is an expectation that sooner rather than later, more comprehensive Medicare reimbursement for telehealth services will be available, he adds.
In the meantime, try these tips for relatively low-cost technology help:
Contact any hospitals where you frequently refer patients. Even if you’re not part of the health system, there may be telehealth programs at the hospital that your patients can take advantage of for services you can’t provide at your practice, suggests Berberian. This will help keep patients compliant between visits.
Try secure texting for fast, convenient communication. Many
solo practitioners still shy away from this technology because of a perceived cost barrier, but that barrier has become much lower than you might think, says Berberian. Whereas it used to cost several thousand dollars to set up secure texting, lower-cost services with monthly per-user fees are now available.
Evaluate options available through your EHR. For relatively small additional cost, your existing provider may be able to provide additional convenience to patients that makes them more likely to schedule follow-up visits, says Berberian. That includes options for online scheduling and retrieval of health records.
right technology for your practice,
try MSD’s HealthHub at www. medicalsocietyofdelaware.org/delaware/ CMMSD/who_we_are/health_hub/ CMMSD/nav_items/who_we_are/health_ hub.aspx?hkey=3249eefd-25df-4ab3-bb31- 3bd5e11f780c.)
ENGAGEMENT THROUGH HOSPITALITY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE
You’ve probably heard that patients increasingly expect the same customer
service in a health care setting that they would receive, say, at a hotel. That is where Ali Poorani comes in. Poorani is an Associate Professor at the University of Delaware, where he has developed the Patient Experience Academy in conjunction with Christiana Care.
The academy, which teaches medical practitioners to apply hospitality-industry principles in a health care setting, helped Christiana Care Medical Group raise
its scores on the Clinician and Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CGCAHPS) survey above 90%.
Here are a few key hospitality lessons Poorani recommends for medical practices:
Get creative to make patients
feel at home. A lot of patient non- compliance is rooted in fear of the medical setting, but even a small practice has plenty of tools at its disposal to counter that. Poorani cites an example shared by one of his students, where a that her daughter had an extreme fear of shots, and ask what could be done to help her. The nurse on the phone asked for
the daughter’s favorite Disney character. When the young patient came in, the nurse made it a point to dress up as that character to put the girl at ease.
Pay attention to the five senses. Patients are more likely to want to see their doctor if they perceive the practice as a pleasant environment. Walk around and try to see the practice as a patient would — are there unpleasant smells, perhaps from a trash can that hasn’t been emptied? Are there loud noises that could be disturbing? Do you see nice, decorative candy on the check-in counter?
Harness the power of discounts. Discounts can be a powerful motivator. Consider entering into partnerships with local businesses that promote a healthy lifestyle — for example, you might be able to arrange for a reduced-fee gym membership for your patients.
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