Simple, Office-Based Intervention Improves Patient-Provider Relationship in New Patient Hand Visits

Area of Science:

• Medical Communication
• Patient Engagement Strategies
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Effective patient-doctor communication is crucial for health outcomes, adherence, and satisfaction.
• Patients often struggle to understand and recall medical information shared during appointments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess patient engagement and communication using a patient encounter card.
• To evaluate patient-doctor interactions with the aid of a communication tool.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post intervention study involving new patients of a hand surgeon.
• Patients received a patient encounter card to guide discussions during their visit.
• Surveys measured patient satisfaction and engagement post-visit.

Main Results:

• Patient engagement increased significantly from 74% to 88% with the encounter card.
• High physician listening (98%) and patient confidence (72%-79%) were maintained.
• Overall patient satisfaction remained high (96%-98%) post-intervention.

Conclusions:

• The patient encounter card enhanced patient engagement during medical visits.
• Further research is needed to explore provider engagement and patient outcomes.
• Tools like encounter cards can improve the quality of care in hand surgery.