The AMA report states that physicians can learn effective communication strategies, such as making their instructions interactive by having patients do, write, say, or show something to demonstrate their understanding: this is sometimes referred to as having the patient "teach back" the information.
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Why is it important to rethink the role of the MA?
Mar 01, 2011 · Helping Patients Understand Their Medical Treatment. An elderly woman sent home from the hospital develops a life-threatening infection because she doesn’t understand the warning signs listed in ...
How do you support a patient who doesn't understand medical terminology?
One recent study found that physicians assess patients' understanding of their instruction only two percent of the time. This is clearly an area with room for improvement. ... Most important is to create a "shame-free environment" where patients with low literacy skills feel they can ask for help. 15 All staff, ... 26 percent could not read ...
What happens when a patient doesn’t understand their diagnosis?
Aug 14, 2020 · Introduction. Open and clear communication between the physician and patient is paramount to the delivery of excellent health care. The empathy and quality of this communication correlates with patient satisfaction and knowledge of the diagnoses and treatment plan (1,2).Patient understanding of their medical management plan helps enhance …
Do patients understand your treatment plans?
Saving Time and Improving Efficiency with Team Documentation. This article clearly articulates how well-trained clinical assistants (MAs, LPNs, or RNs) can help improve the practice with team documentation (their preferred word for "scribing" because the role involves contributing to clinical care, not just recording the visit).
Why is preoperative education important?
Preoperative education can help reduce patient anxiety and fear, educate for the proper use of medication, educate about complications that may follow surgery, and improve recovery time. Educating patients about what to expect during and after surgery will allow them to prepare both physically and emotionally.
How can a medical assistant help patients?
Medical assistants can help promote health and wellness of their patients through education that focuses on healthy habits, protection from injury, and preventative measures to decrease the risk of disease or illness. Patient education in the physician’s office should help patients to achieve these goals.
What is the role of a medical assistant?
The role of a medical assistant involves educating patients in general office information, promotion of health and wellness, injury prevention, and presurgical education. Educated patients want to be involved in treatment decisions, and by involving them, patients are more amenable to following a treatment plan.
Why is it important for a medical assistant to have the patient repeat the specifics of the treatment or procedure?
After educating patients about the treatments or procedures they may need to do at home , it is important for the medical assistant to have the patient repeat the specifics of the treatment or procedure to confirm that they understand how to complete tasks.
What are the techniques used to educate patients?
There are a few techniques to educate patients including factual, sensory, and participatory teaching. The medical assistant will have different printed and virtual educational materials to educate patients.
Why is it important to have a medical assistant before surgery?
It is important for a medical assistant to properly educate a patient prior to surgery to reduce risks, prepare the patient, and create a positive outcome after surgery. This education involves preparation for the surgery and postoperative care after the surgery.
What are the health habits of a medical assistant?
Healthy Habits – The medical assistant, with order and guidance from the physician, can educate patients to employ proper nutrition, get regular exercise, avoid smoking and drugs, limit the amount of alcohol consumed, practice safe sex, and create a healthy work/life balance.
How can physicians learn effective communication strategies?
The AMA report states that physicians can learn effective communication strategies, such as making their instructions interactive by having patients do, write, say, or show something to demonstrate their understanding: this is sometimes referred to as having the patient "teach back" the information.
Why is the AMA report important?
The AMA report stresses the importance of physicians and other health professionals increasing their awareness of the widespread incidence of low literacy and the barriers it raises throughout the health care system.
Why is it important to create a shame-free environment?
Most important is to create a "shame-free environment" where patients with low literacy skills feel they can ask for help. 15 All staff, clinical and administrative, need to be sensitized to the prevalence of the problem and learn to take a non-judgmental, gentle approach to offering assistance.
How likely are people with low literacy to report their health as poor?
Baker, et al found that individuals with low literacy are twice as likely to report their health as poor and twice as likely to be hospitalized. 4,5
What is the National Adult Literacy Survey?
In 1992, the U.S. Department of Education conducted the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS), to examine literacy in terms of everyday functional tasks. 1 Of the 26,000 American adults interviewed, 15 percent were born outside the United States; the majority with low literacy were white and native born.
How to contact AMA Foundation?
For more information on the AMA Foundation's health literacy education materials and initiatives, contact the author at 312-464-5355, or via e-mail to [email protected].
How does low literacy affect health care?
Patients with low literacy are at much higher risk of errors and poorer than expected outcomes in the modern health care delivery system than they would have been 30 years ago. For example, a patient with an acute myocardial infarction 30 years ago would have been hospitalized for six weeks, surrounded by skilled professionals who took care of every need. With new medical knowledge, drugs, and treatments (as well as cost containment pressures), a similar patient today will be out of the hospital in less than a week. Today's patients are quickly on their own, with long lists of instructions, medications, appointments, and very little support from skilled professionals. We expect patients to learn to care for themselves. How much of their "compliance" problems are our responsibility for failing to properly educate and ensure their understanding and ability to carry out the needed care?
What is a LEAP report card?
At LEAP site West County Health Centers, care team MAs receive "report cards" that show their progress in meeting the preventive care needs of their patients. The MA supervisor (an MA who has been promoted to oversee all MAs at that site) reviews the report card with each MA to discuss what is working well and what might be improved to achieve population management targets.
How many patient facilitators are there at High Plains CHC?
Learn how one LEAP site has expanded the MA role. High Plains CHC in Colorado has 3 Patient Facilitators per care team, who rotate front and back office tasks, coordinate referrals, do immunizations, and bring everything to the patient into one room during visits.
What is Union Health Center's curriculum?
Union Health Center developed a robust training curriculum for MAs to take on expanded roles in patient education. MAs learn about chronic disease, motivational interviewing, communication skills and more, through weekly didactic and clinical training sessions. The curriculum consists of learning modules, PowerPoint slides, in-person exercises, and homework assignments. To receive a pdf of the MA training curriculum, please contact Audrey Lum, RN, MPA, at [email protected]
Why are MAs important?
But MAs are often capable of doing much more. As one of the first points of contact for patients, they often have a deep knowledge of patients’ personal and medical histories.
What are the benefits of MA?
The benefits of encouraging MAs to take on more responsibilities include: 1 Better customer service 2 Better performance metrics 3 More effective patient outreach 4 Increased efficiency because providers and other specialized staff can focus on tasks that require their level of expertise 5 Added capacity if MA role expansion allows other team members to independently take on clinician work (RNs, pharmacists, behavioral health specialists)
What skills do you need to be an excellent MA?
Many LEAP sites hire for attitude and train for clinical knowledge and skills. Critical skills include a strong customer service orientation, an eye for detail, and the ability to work well on a team.
Why do you need to hire more MAs?
It might also be necessary to hire more MAs to ensure coverage and minimize burn out.
Why does the elderly man avoid going to the doctor?
The elderly man who avoids going to the doctor altogether because he’s overwhelmed by unfamiliar medical terms ...
What are the effects of limited health literacy?
A large body of research has linked limited health literacy to a spectrum of suboptimal health outcomes, including fewer preventive services, higher levels of hospital readmission, and worse overall health.
What is health literacy?
Health literacy is not restricted to only a person's ability to read and write. It also includes an understanding of preventative health, the nature and causes of disease, and healthcare system itself. People with limited health literacy are often unable to articulate their health concerns or describe their symptoms to a doctor.
How does lack of health literacy affect health?
Limited health literacy also affects people’s ability to achieve good health and well-being, one of the United Nation’s sustainable development goals, and to manage chronic diseases. A recent study, for example, found that patients with acute heart failure patients are more likely to die within two years of hospitalization if they have trouble understanding and using health information. Another recent study showed that parents with limited health literacy are less likely to choose weight-loss strategies, such as increasing physical activity or eating more fruits and vegetables, to help their children maintain a healthy weight.
What government agencies are responsible for improving health literacy?
Many government agencies, including the Institute of Medicine and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have called for broad improvements in health literacy by requesting health information and services be provided in ways that meet the needs all people.
Is health literacy limited to reading?
Rikard, a sociologist at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. Health literacy is not restricted to only a person's ability to read and write.
What are the signs of low literacy?
Indications that patients have limited health literacy may include incompletely filled out forms; frequently missed appointments; poor compliance; inability to identify the name, purpose, or timing of a medication; and not asking any questions. A patient's reaction to written materials can raise concern about literacy skills: A patient with low literacy might say, “I forgot my glasses at home,” and ask the physician to read the materials aloud. The patient might say that s/he will take the materials home to read or to show to a spouse or child.10If patients exhibit these red flags, physicians should be aware that they may need greater assistance in understanding information related to their health.
What are the consequences of lack of health literacy?
Individuals with limited health literacy are at risk for error and poor health outcomes. They have trouble understanding medication instructions, appointment reminder forms, informed consent, discharge instructions, and health education materials. This leads to lack of adherence to medication regimens; missed primary care appointments, laboratory tests, and referral appointments; and lack of proper health self-management. Such actions may appear to be noncompliance but may instead be the result of limited health literacy. Patients with limited health literacy often end up back in a physician's office with more serious conditions or, worse, in the Emergency Department (ED). Low health literacy costs the US health care system up to $73 billion annually.8
How does communication affect health care?
Communication barriers often go undetected in health care settings and can have serious effects on the health and safety of patients. Limited literacy skills are one of the strongest predictors of poor health outcomes for patients.1,2Studies have shown that when patients have low reading fluency, they know less about their chronic diseases, they are worse at managing their care,3and they are less likely to take preventive measures for their health.4However, patients do not need to have limited literacy skills to have low health literacy. The Institute of Medicine defines health literacy as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.”5
What is limited health literacy?
Limited health literacy is a hidden epidemic. It can affect health status, health outcomes, health care use, and health costs.6The entire health care system relies on the assumption that patients can understand complex written and spoken information. Patients are expected to navigate a complex medical system and then manage more and more of their often complex care at home. If they do not understand health information, they cannot take necessary actions for their health or make appropriate health decisions.
How to communicate with patients?
Physicians must encourage open communication with patients. All patients—not just those with limited health literacy—can benefit from clear communication practices. When conveying information verbally, physicians and staff should communicate in key points, avoiding excessive information; most patients will not remember more than three messages. It is important to speak slowly and avoid medical jargon. Use analogies for common things—a patient might better understand joint problems if joints are compared with hinges. Reading handouts with the patient, highlighting and circling important parts, and encouraging the patient to ask questions are also helpful tools.6
Was Jill pregnant when she took birth control?
Fortunately Jill was not pregnant. Had she become pregnant as a result of her misunderstanding of how to take the birth control pills, there would have been additional costs to the system as well as to Jill. Jill's physician probably made the assumption that Jill understood all of the information provided. Taking the time to check the patient's understanding during the office visit may save time in the long term by avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations, ED visits, phone calls, and additional health care appointments.
Do authors have conflicts of interest?
The author(s) have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Why do we use the teach back method?
The teach-back method allows you to better assess your patients’ understanding of their medical problems. It allows you to uncover and clarify any misunderstandings your patients may have about the plan. It also helps you to engage in a more collaborative relationship with your patients.
Why do patients say they understand everything even when they don't?
Patients will also say they understand everything even when they do not because they fear appearing uneducated.
Why is it important to explain to patients?
It doesn’t matter how brilliant our treatment plan is if our patients do not understand it. We all want to feel like we’re making a difference in our patients’ lives. Yet it’s hard for our patients to do what we recommend if they don’t understand.
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Why is teaching back important?
Teach-back helps me to test my effectiveness as a teacher by allowing me to assess whether my patient understands; if not, I explain in a different way.
How do I assess my patients' understanding?
I assess my patients’ understanding by asking them to explain the concept in their own words.
What is everything we say and do?
Editor’s note: “Everything We Say and Do” is an informational series developed by SHM’s Patient Experience Committee to provide readers with thoughtful and actionable communication tactics that have great potential to positively impact patients’ experience of care. Each article will focus on how the contributor applies one or more of the “key communication” tactics in practice to maintain provider accountability for “everything we say and do that affects our patients’ thoughts, feelings, and well-being.”
Why is technology important for students?
Because technology gives students so many ways to communicate with patients, it’s a particularly important consideration. But don’t overdo it, Zalman cautioned. Instead of inundating patients with messages from multiple platforms, “choose no more than three communication channels, and [use] them well,” she said.
What to ask patients to explain?
E—Explain. Ask patients a variety of questions that encourage them to explain more about their health and habits outside their appointments, Zalman recommended. Questions such as, “Can you tell me more about yourself? What is important to you? And what can I do to help you?” can incite patients to fully engage in conversation.
What does it mean to be a physician in training?
As a physician in training, you’re highly educated and accustomed to consuming dense information. But just because physicians in training understand medical jargon doesn’t mean they know how to effectively explain it to their patient.
Who is Randa Zalman?
Marketing-and-communications expert Randa Zalman laid out a comprehensive strategy for patient communication during a presentation at an AMA meeting.
Patient Education Techniques
Patient Educational Materials
- The educational materials that a medical assistant will use to educate patients and their families can be either printed or virtual. Examples of educational materials include brochures, visual representations of a patient performing a task or doing some form of stretching, videos hosted on the physician’s website or located on YouTube, and patient resources provided by different medi…
The Patient Information Packet
- During the first visit to a physician’s office, a medical assistant will typically educate the patient about the practices and policies of the office. By distributing an information packet, the patient will develop a level of trust with the practice and staff. Some of the administrative matters that the patient information packet will explain include an introduction to the office and staff, the qualific…
Promoting Health and Wellness
- Medical assistants can help promote health and wellness of their patients through education that focuses on healthy habits, protection from injury, and preventative measures to decrease the risk of disease or illness. Patient education in the physician’s office should help patients to achieve these goals. Healthy Habits– The medical assistant, with...
Patient Education Prior to Surgery
- It is important for a medical assistant to properly educate a patient prior to surgery to reduce risks, prepare the patient, and create a positive outcome after surgery. This education involves preparation for the surgery and postoperative care after the surgery. Properly educating a patient prior to surgery can also release the physician’s office from legal liability. Part of the education p…