What are some strategies for promoting patient empowerment in interdisciplinary teams?

Respect for patient autonomy is fundamental in patient empowerment, affirming their right to make choices about their care. Patient advocates play a vital role in promoting autonomy within interdisciplinary teams. They ensure patients are informed, consulted, and involved in their care plan, valuing their input. Advocates help patients understand their rights, supporting them in expressing concerns and questions. By empowering patients to participate actively in their care, advocates facilitate collaborative decision-making and foster a patient-centered approach within the healthcare team. 🌟👩⚕️ #PatientEmpowerment #Autonomy 🤝👂

We must HEAR what the patients do not tell us. They may not be able to describe what they need but it is up to healthcare providers to understand their story. We each have a story to tell.

It's important for every patient to understand their diagnosis, prognosis, treatment options, risks, benefits, and alternatives in a clear and honest way, but sadly, that’s often hard to do when doctor visits are so short and they don’t have the time to educate you. That’s where Patient Advocacy comes into play. Advocates can educate about the potential consequences and implications of their choices, and offer alternative options or solutions that align with their values. In fact, research shows that patients who work with advocates are 92% more likely to feel positively impacted by their healthcare decisions, which highlights the significant role patient advocacy plays in empowering patients and improving healthcare outcomes.

Upholding patient autonomy involves recognizing and respecting patients' rights to make informed decisions about their healthcare. In interdisciplinary teams, it's essential to involve patients in care planning and decision-making processes, ensuring their preferences, values, and goals are central to discussions. In my experience, actively listening to patients' concerns, providing clear information about treatment options, and soliciting their input empowers them to actively participate in their care and feel valued as partners in the healthcare process.

Respecting service user autonomy is a cornerstone of empowering individuals in their healthcare journey. It involves recognising the right of service users to make their own decisions and preferences concerning their care. In my role, I strive to promote this autonomy within interdisciplinary teams by ensuring that service users are informed, consulted, and actively involved in all aspects of their care plan. It's imperative that their voice is not only heard but also valued by all team members, reinforcing their role as a central figure in their healthcare.

Education is an important way to give patients the tools they need to feel comfortable communicating with their providers. Along with education on their disease, education that provides tool and tips on how to communicate with your provider can help encourage confidence in starting or keeping an open dialogue about expectations and treatment goals. I think it important not only for patients to share their experiences and educate other patients, also to educate their providers on what they want out of their care. In my experience, this collaborative approach to care provides the best outcomes.

Patient education is crucial for achieving superior health outcomes. It bridges the gap between medical advice and patient action, empowering them with the knowledge needed to navigate the complexities of healthcare. That’s why, in addition to our Patient Advocacy in Healthcare Navigation & Detoxification we offer our clients Educational Training & Coaching Programs as well to equip them with the tools & resources they need to better understand their healthcare benefits, options, and strategies to engage proactively in their care. This fosters a sense of confidence, capability, and control, enabling them to make well-informed decisions about their health. Effective education leads to reduced unnecessary hospital visits and lower costs.

As a care manager, I've observed that education and regular connection are powerful tools for promoting patient empowerment. Providing patients with tailored knowledge about their health conditions instills confidence in their decision-making abilities and enhances their understanding of various aspects of their care. When patients are well-informed, they actively contribute to the planning process, transforming their role from passive recipients to engaged participants in their healthcare journey.

Patients in our healthcare systems are consistently scared and confused, which leads to poor outcomes and less active engagement with their journey. If we provide more accessible methods of patient education and improve their health literacy we empower patients to participate more actively in their healthcare decision making journey, and improve their health outcomes.

Patient education is crucial for empowering patients, involving providing relevant, accurate, and understandable information about their condition, treatment options, and resources. 📚👩⚕️ Patient advocates facilitate this within interdisciplinary teams by fostering communication and collaboration between patients and team members. They assist patients in accessing and evaluating the information they need, encouraging questions, seeking clarification, and sharing feedback with the team. By promoting patient education, advocates empower patients to make informed decisions about their care, enhancing their overall experience and outcomes. 🌟🤝

Building patient self-efficacy involves instilling confidence and belief in one's ability to manage health challenges and achieve desired outcomes. Interdisciplinary teams can support patient self-efficacy by providing encouragement, positive reinforcement, and practical strategies for overcoming barriers. In my experience, incorporating motivational interviewing techniques, setting achievable goals, and celebrating small successes can boost patients' confidence and motivation, fostering a sense of empowerment and ownership over their health behaviors and choices.

You have to create a forum for patients to feel safe and openly and honestly voice their views and then show them how they can be an integral and important part of their own care, and allowed to be responsible for it.

Equipping patients with effective communication techniques is crucial. Teaching them specific phrases to use can significantly improve the clarity & effectiveness of their interactions. Statements like, "If I understand you correctly, you're saying (1,2,3)... is that right?" helps ensure mutual understanding. Asking for detailed explanations, such as, "Can you walk me through what the process would be?" enables them to gain a better understanding of their care plan. Saying, "On the one hand, I feel (a,b,c), but on the other, I feel (d,e,f)?" allows them to convey their concerns & emotions more accurately. And, "What are my next best steps?" ensures that they leave with clear guidance on how to proceed. This will produce better outcomes.

In my previous role as a patient flow outreach manager and discharge coordinator, I use teaching back technique to ensure my patients understand their discharge education needs and ensure comprehension

Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. This needs to be between ALL the members of the care team and most importantly, with the patient. The best way to have a patient feel disempowered, disenfranchised, and disengaged in their care is to leave them on the sidelines while everyone talks about and around them. Messaging needs to be consistent across the team, appropriately frequent, personal (at least in feel if not by a human), and at a level of health literacy compatible with their understanding.

Vejo como de extrema importância dar ouvidos a fala do paciente, ter um minuto para ouvi-lo, desenvolver uma boa relação beira-leito pois deste forma é possível a colará de muitas informações que geralmente se perdem pois os pacientes necessitam de serem estimulados a nos contar suas dúvidas e anseios, sendo assim os mesmos desenvolvem uma rede de confiança e segurança no profissional e começam a nos relatar tudo que já aconteceu e que vira acontecer. Esta comunicação ativa ajuda muito o paciente promovendo um cuidado centrado e desenvolvido para ele de acordo com as suas necessidades.

While working in substance abuse treatment facilities, I had the opportunity to work with patients in the LGBTQ community. I heard some of the nurses' negative and biased attitudes toward this patient population. This inspired the topic of my PhD dissertation. "Nursing Faculty's Knowledge and Readiness to teach LGBT health in Baccalaureate Nursing Programs."

Treat patients cultural background with respect and understanding their needs are important to successfully helping them achieve their goals.

The way I ensure that patient diversity is recognized and respected, leading to more inclusive, equitable, and effective healthcare for everyone is to begin with the most important questions, which are: 1) What is your understanding of your medical situation? 2) What are your hopes and what are your fears? 3) What are the trade-offs you are willing to make and not willing to make? 4) What is the course of action that best serves this understanding? When these questions are understood and communicated to the healthcare team, patients stand a better chance of being understood, making their wishes known and intentions clear. This approach is patient-centered, culturally sensitive, and deeply rooted in respect for their unique perspective.

Students in schools are always provided with accessible and equitable education options to make sure they have the best chance to learn. That support ends when you leave school, but good health requires life long learning! So patient health education and health literacy should always be given the same equitable considerations as those shown to younger students in any other field.

Cultural competency or the lack thereof has alway been an impediment to patient care and a lost opportunity to improve outcomes. Acknowledging cultural differences and affording oneself to learn from the patient those differences that affect care , compliance and outcome empowers both patient and provider.

Sometimes patients don't have the financial or physical means to implement the regimens or practices being prescribed. Sometimes they are too embarrassed to be forthcoming about this information so they just say "okay" and go on their way. When you know the patient is not fully on board, investigate. Offer compassion. I have been in healthcare since I was 17 from ALF, SNF, Hospital, and HHC. I can see on many sides how I could have better equipped my patients. I see Home Health as an opportunity to set them up for success long term because I can see their limitations first hand. Here, I can offer resources they didn't know about before. Meals on wheels, pre-packaged medication delivery, comfort keepers, cleaning services, etc.

Ao meu ponto de vista, também vejo como de total importância o cuidado com a saúde mental dos pacientes. Sugiro como exemplo um paciente que se encontra com sua saúde mental abalada, precedido a de tal forma, que mesmo que seu tratamento seja eficaz em questões de melhorias clínicas não se fará completo pois a maioria dos pacientes desenvolve depressão, ansiedade e outras síndromes durante a internação. Seja pelo abandono afetivo durante a internação ou por questões já trazidas de fora. É importante cuidar desta questão dentro da internação clínica, acredito que realizando algumas atividades com pacientes e familiares, estimulando a saída do leito e possuindo uma rede eficaz de psicologia seria a melhor de ajudá-los neste sentido.