“Smart IT must accommodate, preserve, and uplift interpersonal relationships in health care.” -Michael Weiner, MD, MPH & Paul Biondich, MD The physician-patient relationship is an important but often overlooked contributor to patient health. Impressively, a good physician-patient relationship is just as important to health outcomes as the use of well-established medical interventions. It is therefore critical that physicians and patients alike commit to the development of this important connection and explore opportunities to strengthen it. In this presentation, I discuss what contributes to a healthy physician-patient relationship, concerns about how technology may threaten it, and how to best leverage technology to improve it.

1. How Digital Technologies Can Strengthen
the Physician-Patient Relationship
Nisha K. Cooch, PhD, PMP
July 24, 2017
CONNECT AFTER CLINIC

2. “Smart IT must accommodate,
preserve, and uplift interpersonal
relationships in health care.”
-Michael Weiner, MD, MPH & Paul Biondich, MD

3. A good physician-patient relationship is
just as important to health outcomes as
the use of well-established medical interventions.

5. WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO A
HEALTHY PHYSICIAN-
PATIENT RELATIONSHIP?

6. Physicians who communicate well
are more likely to have high-quality
relationships with their patients.

7. Critical communication skills in medicine are:
ability to convey empathy
ability to present complex
information in a digestible manner

8. CONVEYING EMPATHY
develop stronger relationships
see better health outcomes
experience fewer malpractice cases
enjoy healthier bottom lines
More empathetic physicians:

9. EFFECTIVELY EXPLAINING MEDICINE
higher patient satisfaction
enhanced trust in healthcare providers
improved adherence to medications
reduced physician burnout
Physicians who can explain things in a digestible way enjoy:

14. DOES TECHNOLOGY
THREATEN THE PHYSICIAN-
PATIENT RELATIONSHIP?

15. Main relevant observations:
Technology is associated with reduced eye
contact between physician and patients
Technology is an important contributor to
physician burnout

16. BUT...REJECTING DIGITAL
TECHNOLOGY HINDERS
PHYSICIANS' RELATIONSHIPS
WITH PATIENTS

18. Some key research findings:
Patients rate healthcare providers' Internet
friendliness as critical to their quality of care
95% of surveyed patients report believing that email
communication with their doctor is more efficient
than phone or in-person communication
Even patients over the age of 65 say physician
websites were more effective than phone and in-
person communication

19. DYNAMIC WEBSITES & SOCIAL
MEDIA ACTIVITY IMPROVE THE
COMMUNICATION THAT'S
CRITICAL TO THE PHYSICIAN-
PATIENT RELATIONSHIP

20. HOW DIGITAL STRATEGIES DEMONSTRATE EMPATHY
Commitment to accommodating patient preferences
Patients want continuous access to reliable medical information
Searching for health info is the 3rd most popular online activity
Patients want more and better communication from their
doctors

21. HOW DIGITAL STRATEGIES DEMONSTRATE EMPATHY
Certain content can also show empathy and humanize
physicians and staff

22. HOW DIGITAL STRATEGIES IMPROVE CLARITY
Strategic presentation of information
More extensive explanations
Constant access to information
Curation of valuable resources
Reinforce and supplement information exchanged in person

23. The quality and volume of interactions between in-
person visits significantly influences our relationships.
EXPECTATIONS ABOUT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN
PROVIDERS AND PATIENTS IS CHANGING

24. So patients now expect this service - and greater control over
their experience in healthcare
Patients rank customer service and the ability of providers to
make their lives easier as critical to their satisfaction
PATIENTS ENCOUNTER HIGHER QUALITY
CUSTOMER SERVICE IN OTHER INDUSTRIES

25. Physicians who combine their
valuable medical training with a
commitment to satisfying patients’
medical and psychological needs
are bound to have the best
physician-patient relationships.

26. Thank you!