What is your approach to patient care?

My Approach to Patient-Centered Care

My approach to patient care prioritizes a patient-centered communication style that incorporates patient preferences, assesses literacy and numeracy, and addresses cultural barriers to care while ensuring treatment decisions are timely and founded on evidence-based guidelines. 1

Core Principles of My Patient-Centered Approach

Effective Communication and Shared Decision-Making

• I build the doctor-patient relationship through effective communication that includes opening discussions appropriately, gathering information, understanding the patient's perspective, sharing information clearly, reaching agreement on problems and plans, and providing proper closure 1
• I ensure transparency, individualization, recognition, respect, dignity, and choice in all matters related to the patient's care 1
• I engage patients in shared decision-making by providing information about treatment alternatives and their merits and shortcomings 1

Evidence-Based, Individualized Care

• I align treatment decisions with evidence-based guidelines while tailoring them to individual patient preferences, prognoses, and comorbidities 1
• I recognize that patient-centered care requires stepping back from applying one line of therapy after another and instead developing treatment plans consistent with evidence-based options and the patient's informed preferences 1
• I use health status measures (patients' symptoms, function, and quality of life) to quantify treatment success 1

Team-Based Care and Chronic Care Model

• I align my approach to care with the Chronic Care Model to ensure productive interactions between a prepared proactive care team and an informed activated patient 1
• I leverage team-based care, patient registries, decision support tools, and community involvement to meet patient needs 1
• I recognize the value of the patient-centered medical home concept, which includes adopting health information technology, modifying clinical practice patterns, and ensuring continuity of care 1

Addressing Common Barriers to Patient-Centered Care

Health Literacy and Communication Barriers

• I assess health literacy in patients, recognizing that low health literacy limits a true patient-centered approach and contributes to medication non-adherence 1
• I avoid common pitfalls in communication, such as failing to communicate critical elements of medication use or incomplete sharing of relevant treatment information 1
• I ensure patients understand their disease and can monitor measures that identify the status of their condition 1

Psychosocial and Environmental Factors

• I consider patients' emotional and mental health, including how they are coping with their conditions, sources of stress, and available support systems 1
• I address environmental factors that may affect health outcomes, such as difficulties getting to appointments, financial concerns, and access to healthy foods or safe places to exercise 1
• I recognize that patient-centered care must integrate medical and non-medical aspects of care to address patients' psychosocial contexts 2

Implementation Strategies

Ongoing Assessment and Monitoring

• I conduct serial assessments of patients' health status as a foundation for monitoring their disease and response to treatment 1
• I use frequent communication and monitoring to help patients attain their health goals 1
• I employ patient registries and decision support tools to facilitate implementation of patient-centered care 1

Collaborative Goal-Setting

• I engage patients in collaborative goal-setting and treatment planning to increase their participation in their own care 1
• I discuss what patients want from their care plan and what they are willing and able to do, especially with lifestyle changes 1
• I recognize that my goals may not always align with patient goals, and I work to bridge this gap through effective communication 2

By implementing these principles and strategies, I aim to provide care that truly addresses what matters most to patients while being grounded in the best available evidence, ultimately improving health outcomes and patient satisfaction.