Face to face beats the phone every time
Face to face beats the phone every time
Build rapport by meeting in person
When you meet with patients in person, you can find out information, determine their level of understanding, and develop rapport much better than just talking to them on the telephone, says B.K. Kizziar, RNC, CCM, CLCP, a case management consultant based on Southlake, TX.
"The only way to develop a relationship and learn the information you need to create a treatment plan that will work is to do it on a face-to-face basis," she adds.
Face-to-face encounters are much more valuable than telephone conversations, adds Joanna Malcolm, RN, CCM, BSN, consulting manager, clinical advisory services for Pershing, Yoakley & Associates in Atlanta. "Meeting a patient in person allows case managers to pick up subtle signs such as that they don't understand. It's hard to hide facial expressions. If somebody is confused or has a puzzled look, case managers need to repeat the information or explain it to them a different way," she says.
Face-to-face meetings are particularly important with the elderly who may have hearing problems that make it difficult to communicate by telephone. "When patients have cognitive defects, they may say they understand when they don't. A face-to-face meeting allows the case manager the ability to see the patient's expression, which gives the case manager clues to act upon," Malcolm says.
Case managers who work in a medical home can make a huge impact on patient care when they have the opportunity to see patients in person and accompany them as they see providers, Kizziar says. "If case managers hear the same information as the patient from the doctor, the therapist, or pharmacist, they can help interpret the information in a way patients can utilize it when they leave the clinic," she says.
At the very least, case managers in a medical home should assess their patients face to face and see them in person as often as possible, Kizziar adds. If patients just don't seem able to understand and follow their recommended treatment plan, a home visit may be in order.
Kizziar recommends that hospital case managers make rounds every morning to say hello, and if they think patients or family members need to have face time, make an appointment based on the patient's schedule for the day. Then show up at the time you suggested, sit down, and pay attention to what the patient is saying. Don't look at your watch or make notes on your computer, and if your beeper goes off, ignore it. "Part of relationship-building is to give patients and family member uninterrupted time and to really listen," she says.
When you meet with patients in person, you can find out information, determine their level of understanding, and develop rapport much better than just talking to them on the telephone, says B.K. Kizziar, RNC, CCM, CLCP, a case management consultant based on Southlake, TX.Subscribe Now for Access
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