Author Archives: Zuzanna Walter

Humanizing Virtual Care for Patient Satisfaction

November 20, 2020

Although only 8% of American patients had previously attended a telehealth visit before the pandemic, up to 83% expect to continue telehealth visits even after the pandemic subsides. In 2019, only 28% of physicians reported using telehealth technologies. Now, virtual consultations and online visits are beginning to replace the traditional model of in-office appointments.

Growing Demand, Declining Patient Satisfaction

While some healthcare professionals have expressed concern about the impact of telehealth on patient-provider relationships, arguing that digital care will be hinderance to personal connections, the past few months have revealed that virtual visits can effectively support and even deepen relations with patients. However, the effective delivery of online care requires strategic efforts that go beyond traditional patient-provider interactions.

Although patient demand and desire for digital visits continues to rise, overall patient satisfaction with such services is reportedly decreasing. “As patients become more engaged, informed, and involved with their health care decisions, and demand better access to care, virtual health solutions will play an important role in meeting expectations,” a recent report by Deloitte highlights. Virtual healthcare needs to continue efforts aimed at humanizing online care by extending the patient-centered care delivery model.

Humanizing Virtual Care

There are several ways to connect with patients virtually, all of which work to strengthen the patient-provider relationship. Some, such as automated messaging services, can even help lessen clinician workload by handling mundane administrative tasks while continuing to foster the patient-provider connection. Primarily, healthcare professionals need to prioritize using technological solutions to their advantage and as communication tools to develop a consistent relationship with patients.

Life-Centric Care:

The ubiquity of technology in our lives, ranging from smartphones to smart watches, allows for continuous tracking, monitoring, and communication. Focusing on embedding virtual healthcare into a patient’s digital life, providers can leverage the technology and tools they use on a daily basis to foster patient engagement. This can include utilizing data and content sharing applications to create personalized, high-quality interactions, sending reminders, and other communications that emphasize a life-centric care model.

Two-Way Texting:

As a decreasing proportion of the population now accepts incoming phone calls and many do not even check their voicemail, text messaging has become the preferred method of communication; up to 47% of patients express wanting to be able to text back and forth with their healthcare provider. With quick, efficient communications, two-way texting is an important step toward humanizing the virtual relationship.

Educational Communications:

Regularly sharing educational content, such as newsletters, blogs, and emails, can reinforce the feeling that providers care about their patients’ health. During the pandemic in particular, it is important to consistently communicate with patients by sending targeted educational information – to at-risk individuals especially – that provide individualized recommendations for staying healthy.

Automated Post-Visit Calls or Emails:

The majority of patients fail to remember all of the details of recommendations and treatment instructions provided during visits. Here, the use of automated messaging – including phone calls, voicemails, texts, and emails – can help remind patients of post-appointment care instructions. Such reminders will also improve treatment adherence while reinforcing the message that providers care about patients and their health.

Appointment and Billing Reminders:

Another facet of care can easily be automated using messaging systems; sending patients automated reminders of upcoming appointments and overdue bills can be used to increase touch points, triggering name recognition as well as remembrance. Patients will likely recognize and appreciate these efforts to simplify their lives, benefiting the overall relationship they have with their medical practice as convenience is increasingly valued.

The modern medical practice can leverage this ongoing shift toward digital care, taking advantage of the many virtual opportunities for connection and communication with their patients. While in-person interactions may be limited at this time, patient-provider relationships need not  fall to the wayside. With a healthcare industry primed for expanding adoption of telehealth, virtual health will increasingly become a part of consumers’ daily routines. If clinicians commit to telemedicine at a personal and organizational level, they can take advantage of the growing opportunities to deliver connected, coordinated, and comprehensive care.

Racial Stigmatization & Brain Health

November 12, 2020

As stress has been found to modulate the brain’s reward response, researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) conducted a study investigating the effects of discrimination and dealing with negative stigma on brain functioning. The new study revealed the negative implications of racial stereotyping on the behavior of the subcortical nucleus accumbens, an area of the brain associated with anticipation of reward and punishment. Their findings were published in a paper featured in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. 

Consequences of Racial Stigmatization 

Study author Kyle Ratner, a social psychologist, and his colleagues investigated the effect of negative stereotyping on brain processing in 40 Latinx UCSB students. Participants were randomly assigned to either stigma condition or control groups. Researchers monitored participants’ brain functioning using a functional MRI as they were shown a rapid series of eight 2-3-minute videos pertaining to childhood obesity, high school dropout rates, gang-related violence, and teenage pregnancy.

In the stigmatized group, videos discussed the topics from the Latinx community perspective, suggesting that these individuals were disproportionately affected by them. Meanwhile, the control group was shown videos as related to the general U.S. population. After watching the videos, participants were asked to complete a Monetary Incentive Delay task in which faster response times resulted in monetary rewards.

Altered Brain Functioning

According to the study’s authors, machine learning analyses indicated that incentive-related patterns differed between Latinx participants subjected to negative stereotypes and those within the control group. Researchers found that individuals in the stigma condition group were significantly slower at the task than the control group, indicating disparities linked to the framing of the videos shown.

These effects were tied to personal motivation as related to nucleus accumbens functioning, according to the study’s authors, who highlight the compounding nature of external stressors that is affecting the health of disadvantaged demographics.

“It is clear that people who belong to historically marginalized groups in the U.S. contend with burdensome stressors on top of the everyday stressors that members of non-disadvantaged groups experience,” Ratner told Medical News Today in a recent article. “For instance, there is the trauma of overt racism, stigmatizing portrayals in the media and popular culture, and systemic discrimination that leads to disadvantages in many domains of life, from employment and education to healthcare and housing to the legal system.”

As such, the latest findings implicate that stigmatizing minority populations may impact how these individuals process incentives, expanding understanding of the association between racial stereotyping and personal motivation. This has significant implications for the wellbeing and health of members of these communities and requires further research efforts.

Despite the latest evidence, the study’s authors warn against generalizing their findings as the investigation primarily focused on a singular effect of stigmatization and only evaluated college students. They plan to conduct further experiments in a larger, more diverse cohort to improve the current understanding of systemic effects of structural racism and stereotyping on affected groups and their brain functioning.

Seasonal Depression Risk at All-Time High During Pandemic Winter

November 5, 2020

As many studies have already reported, rates of mental illness symptoms in the population have been rising throughout 2020 due to social distancing measures, increased isolation, and a general upheaval of normal life due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, the prevalence of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is also projected to reach an all-time high in the forthcoming months as surges in virus cases coincide with declining options for activities as colder weather encroaches. Alongside the widespread, multi-faceted devastation caused by the pandemic, political concerns and social unrest leave the American population increasingly vulnerable to SAD this fall/winter season.

Seasonal Affective Disorder 

According to current estimates, approximately 5% of Americans experience seasonal depression which usually begins during transitions from the summer to fall and fall to winter.

The onset of colder weather and decreased sunlight exposure contribute to a biochemical imbalance in the brain characterized by lowered serotonin levels and altered circadian rhythms. Common symptoms include sadness, loss of interest in activities, changes in appetite or eating patterns, changes in sleep, and loss of energy. The condition typically lasts for approximately 40% of the year although, in some patients it can last even longer.

Seasonal affective disorder is more common among women, young adults, those living further from the equator, as well as those with a personal or family history of depression. Nonetheless, the current environment is not conducive to overall wellbeing, putting more individuals at risk for depression even if they have never experienced mental health concerns before.

SAD Amid COVID-19 Restrictions

The symptoms of seasonal depression are likely to be exacerbated by pandemic conditions across the world as the number of activities decreases and feelings of isolation, compounded by stress and anxiety, increase across populations and age groups. Protective measures against COVID-19, including the closure of many business and limited social contact, contribute not only to declining in-person interactions but also growing financial burden. The lack of physical mobility, reduction in activities, and persisting threat of the novel coronavirus greatly heighten the risk for mental health symptoms in the population.

“There’s less activity, there’s less socialization, there are less mastery activities, there are less pleasurable activities, so in general there is an increase in depression, not to mention job losses and losses of people,” Dr. Lata McGinn, co-founder of Cognitive and Behavioral Consultants told USA Today in a recent article.

Therapeutic Options

It is paramount to find safe ways to socialize and remain active throughout the coming fall/winter season. Individuals are encouraged to maintain a strong support system of family and friends with frequent video and phone calls, socially-distanced visits, and other safe interactions. Experts recommend keeping a consistent exercise routine, which can greatly benefit mental health while also increasing overall emotional and physical wellbeing. Despite the cold, it is important to continue spending time outdoors for sunlight and fresh air exposure in a safe way.

Another potential therapeutic option recommended by psychologists is light therapy, which can be used indoors to mimic sunlight exposure. Daily treatment involves approximately 20 minutes of exposure to the light throughout the winter months with improvements seen between 1-2 weeks after initiating treatment.

In addition, experts recommend pursuing an “activity diet” focused on learning and building new skills – such as studying a new language – in order to derive a sense of accomplishment. CNN outlines several other helpful options and ideas for combating seasonal depression symptoms during this time, including journaling and other meditative practices. 

However, some patients may need to undertake more aggressive treatment measures to improve their seasonal depression symptoms. Talk therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy can effectively treat SAD as can antidepressant medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). With the rise of telemedicine, there has also been an increase in available options for virtual psychologist and psychiatrist visits bringing mental health support to patients in the comfort of their own home.

Although the National Institute of Health does not recommend diagnosing seasonal affective disorder until symptoms are experienced for two or more consecutive years, if symptoms begin to negatively affect daily functioning individuals are urged to seek professional support. As per the American Psychiatric Association, “anyone feeling severe symptoms of depression or suicidal thoughts to contact a doctor immediately or seek help at the closest emergency room. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 800-273-TALK (8255) or via online chat.“