A typical office visit with a primary care physician lasts only about 15 minutes. Within that limited face time, you need to build rapport with the patient, diagnose their condition, prescribe medications, perhaps order additional studies, and plan follow-up care.
So how can technology help providers better connect with patients?
Better Physician Tools for Better Patient Results
A recent American Medical Association survey shows physicians are increasingly using digital tools for patient engagement (33%), consumer access to clinical data (58%), and remote monitoring and management (22%).
But your clinical staff knows that simply adding more technology is never the silver bullet and in fact can even result in physician burnout. When technology is seamlessly integrated into your electronic health record (EHR) system within workflow, it can make a world of difference for busy clinicians, allowing the team to access essential information and features without adding the multiple clicks that contribute to burnout.
For example, when an e-prescribing application connects directly to your state’s prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP), you don’t need to interrupt your workflow by opening a new screen or signing into a separate system when prescribing controlled substances. This informs your team and helps protect patients and providers alike, while also stemming the rising tide of the opioid crisis.
Reaching Patients Where They Are
Common barriers can prevent patients from taking their medications as directed. Patients often forget to pick up prescriptions, or can’t afford a medication or co-pay, or they get confused about the instructions from their last office visit. The detrimental impact of non-adherence makes it vital to find innovative ways to reinforce provider recommendations after the patient leaves the exam room. Equally vital: doing so in a way that isn’t a burden on providers or their staff.
After an appointment ends, automatic reminder messages sent directly to a patient’s smartphone or other mobile device can prompt patients to pick up prescriptions from the pharmacy after leaving your office. These notifications can include educational information, such as quick, informative videos and details about a medication’s potential side effects and benefits, plus cost-saving coupons or co-pay assist options. These are highly effective ways to improve the likelihood that your patients will adhere to their care plans.
Since 2018, RxInform, an integrated application within the e-prescribing workflow that notifies patients via secure messages when providers write prescriptions, has helped more than 50 million patients. With over 90% positive scores and an opt-out rate of only 0.3%, patients clearly welcome these messages from their providers, presenting new opportunities to nurture patient relationships and build loyalty.
Today’s Patients Expect the Latest Technologies
Technology is an integral part of patients’ everyday lives, and they expect similar experiences from their healthcare providers. As more practices turn to digital solutions, consider how using technologies like these can optimize your clinical decision-making and improve your communication with patients and other providers. By doing so, you may also boost your patients’ satisfaction with their care.
MicroMD partners with DrFirst to integrate PDMP and RxInform into providers’ e-prescribing workflows. RxInform capabilities are included in version 18.04 and will roll out to all users. You don’t need to take any action—just use e-prescribing and the solution will do the work for you behind the scenes.
Colin Banas, M.D., M.H.A., is Chief Medical Officer of DrFirst, and former Internal Medicine Hospitalist and former Chief Medical Information Officer for VCU Health System in Richmond, Virginia.
