Practice Management
July 2021
by Liz Hillman
Editorial Co-Director
Practice communications with patients were already moving toward digital when possible, but the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced reduced in-office time and sought to eliminate physical touchpoints, pushed slow adopters forward.
A Medscape report said: “The digital transformation in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries was accelerated during the coronavirus pandemic. The key opinion leaders and industry experts agree that in the post-pandemic world, even as lockdowns are lifted and restrictions relaxed, the emerging trends for an increase in digital communications will stay.”1
Josh Weiner said one of the initial challenges for practices as they grappled with the pandemic early on was communication.
“Practices urgently needed to let patients know what COVID-19 meant for their office and how patients could get the care they needed. Practices suddenly experienced something most never had before—the need to reach out to their entire patient base at once. Digital communication (email or text message) was critical.”
Rohit Varma, MD, said his practice changed how they communicated with patients in three ways as a result of the pandemic.
“One, we send everyone an email as well as a mailer about what to expect and how we’re keeping our office safe for them, what things they should keep in mind, and what things they should do. Two, we have information on our website. Whenever new patients want to come to our office, they can see that. Three, for those who are already established patients, we are doing a fair amount of telehealth visits so that we can follow them as need be now,” he said.
Communications in the digital age at this point go beyond informing patients of health and safety measures being undertaken by the practice. Practices now more than ever are taking information that once would have been a repetitive discussion between physicians and patients and making it digital.
Use of email/text communications, informational videos, webpages, etc., are not novel as a result of the pandemic, but more physicians are using these technologies to get information to patients than before.
“Everyone used to mail out welcome packets for cataract surgery,” said Carlton Yuen, MD. “In 2019 you’d mail out a questionnaire, information on cataract surgery packet. … How many patients actually read that?”
Dr. Yuen has been using text and video communications with his cataract consults for some time now. He said this technique gives his patients the ability to understand the cataract procedure and their IOL options before they come to him, resulting in more specific and direct questions. What’s more, he said it helps ensure a consistent message is given to all patients and those who might be involved in their care decisions. He is also able to obtain metrics on how often his communications are being opened or watched.
“It’s amazing how much less time you spend in the examination lane trying to educate the patient and realizing that doing it verbally, we weren’t doing such a great job at it,” he said, adding later that patients “usually don’t have many questions because they’re so well informed at that point.”
Dr. Yuen described this as being proactive rather than reactive in education, which benefits the patient and the provider.
“If I do 500 cataract surgeries a year and I spend 15 to 20 minutes counseling each patient on his or her surgical options, I’m going to use more than 100 hours a year repeating something that doesn’t have to be repeated in person. Instead, making a video allows you to present a consistent message and streamline patient education. It doesn’t have to be expensive but something you are confident in presenting to patients to give everyone the same option without discrimination or … our own biases that we carry when we walk in the exam room.”
For the patient, it fills in a significant education gap. Dr. Yuen pointed to a Johnson & Johnson survey that found while most people (70%) were familiar with cataracts and knew cataract surgery was the most common treatment option (85%), only 30% of those who were diagnosed or who had symptoms of cataracts said they would be very likely to have surgery. The most cited reason was fear (29%) and concerns about efficacy (28%). Twenty-two percent had a lack of knowledge about cataract procedures, according to the press release about the survey.
Dr. Yuen also said the videos give patients the opportunity to see him without a mask.
Dr. Varma said he is still spending the time in the office with patients to discuss their conditions at length as needed. Telehealth visits have been helpful in that they allow him to communicate with patients from the comfort of their homes.
“It is critical for them to realize and understand that they can always reach out to us and we are available when they have concerns. … They can continue to make that connection on the phone or via Zoom or FaceTime,” Dr. Varma said.
“In general, in times of crisis, patients want more communication,” Mr. Weiner said. “While they might be inundated with information during these times, they often lack it from trusted sources. “They want to hear from you,” Mr. Weiner said. He recommended erring on the side of over communicating.”
About the sources
Rohit Varma, MD
Founder
Southern California Eye Institute
Los Angeles, California
Josh Weiner
CEO
Solutionreach
Salt Lake City, Utah
Carlton Yuen, MD
Aloha Vision Consultants
Honolulu, Hawaii
References
- Healthcare’s New Normal: COVID Speeds Shift to Digital Communications. Medscape. 2020. img.medscape.com/images/common/COVID-19%20Insights%20-%20Impact%20on%20Clinicians.pdf. Accessed Dec. 16, 2020.
Relevant disclosures
Varma: None
Weiner: Solutionreach
Yuen: Johnson & Johnson Vision
Contact
Varma: Su.Lee@HPMedcenter.com
Weiner: LinkedIn @joshfweiner
Yuen: dr.yuen@hotmail.com
