Prevent a 'triple fail' with true patient-centered care

by Thomas Dahlborg During the recent New England Healthcare Institute (NEHI) 2013 Innovation Conference: Patient Engagement 360, two questions kept coming to mind: How can the healthcare system be patient-centered and engage patients without truly knowing the patient? How can we provide the care the patient desires without understanding who they are, how they live, their culture, fears, hopes, goals, and so much more? The questions reminded me of a story about how ignoring time, relationship, trust, empathy and not hearing the patient's whole story can harm those we our blessed to serve. My friend's 87-year-old mother was recently diagnosed with dementia. After much prayer and reflection, she met with her children to finalize her funeral arrangements and confirm her DNR ("do not resuscitate") code. Soon thereafter she ended up in the local emergency room where she was diagnosed with heart failure. The doctor remained detached and spoke clinically to this scared elderly woman, never once providing comfort or even touching the patient. "It's heart failure. We can't address it here. Would you like an intervention?" "Intervention?" she asked in her confusion. "Yes. We can transport you immediately to another hospital for surgery. It's a critical situation." "Intervention?" It wasn't a word she knew. DNR she knew. This physician did not take the time to connect with this patient, to touch this patient, to hear her story--to truly understand her wishes, to discuss her D...
Source: hospital impact - Category: Health Managers Authors: Source Type: blogs