In healthcare, much is written about caregivers and clinicians doing everything possible to drive patient well-being and satisfaction. However, oftentimes there is an equally important component to this process which includes patient compliance. In summary, patient compliance is simply the extent to which the patient adheres to medical guidance about their situation. Studies have shown that about 75% of patients don’t follow instructions such as not filling their prescription, stopping dosage/treatment or not following recovery steps. Noncompliance is a problem throughout all cycles of care regardless of the level of illness.
Here are some important guidelines to help patients follow medical guidance:
Ensure that patients understand what their programs involve, including any medications, physical therapy or other efforts designed to help them recover
Follow-up with phone calls and other methods to check on patient understanding and progress
Focus on patient education before and after they are discharged from a hospital stay
Discuss any changes in patient routines that may become their “new normal”
Compliance not only drives patient recovery, but also has a direct correlation to patient satisfaction, engagement, and reduced readmission. It is essential to keep the patient educated about their circumstances and the necessary steps to help them recover. Through open and ongoing conversations, the patient will see how their medical team is working to help them recover, which likely will drive higher satisfaction. And, predictably, with a focus on following instructions, there is a lower possibility of being readmitted.
PREMEDEX helps health systems and care providers improve patient compliance through personalized follow-up calls and tracks progress with innovative technology. Follow-up calls help care providers monitor progress, check-in on the patient, and reassure the patient that medical professionals are here to help. And the results? Our efforts improve patient satisfaction … in some cases driving results twice as high as prior results. Click here to explore how we can help your team drive patient compliance through the PREMEDEX Post Discharge Management program.