Simple, Office-Based Intervention Improves Patient–Provider Relationship in New Patient Hand Visits

Purpose Effective patient–doctor communication is linked to improved patient functional and physiological health status, better adherence to physician recommendations, and increased patient satisfaction. However, studies show that patients have difficulty understanding and recalling information discussed during a medical encounter. The purpose of this study was to assess patient engagement, patient–doctor communication, and patient–doctor interactions with the utilization of a patient encounter card to help aid in communication. Methods New patients presenting to a single hand surgeon during an 8-month period between 2019 and 2020 were recruited for this study. Patients were recruited in pre and postintervention phases, defined by the rollout of a patient encounter card. Patients studied in the preintervention group were defined as the control population and experienced a typical office visit. The postintervention group experienced a typical office visit with the addition of a patient encounter card distributed to patients prior to meeting with the physician and screened by the physician during the visit to guide the encounter. Patient satisfaction and engagement surveys were collected during patient checkout process. Results Two hundred eighty-seven patients (70% participation rate) were enrolled in the preintervention (145) and postintervention (142) phases. The utilization of a patient encounter card for setting a visit agenda resulted in a significant increase in self-reported patient engagement, improving from 74% to 88%. In both phases, 98% of patients felt that the physician listened well or very well and reported high levels of confidence in the provider being able to address their primary health concerns (72% and 79%, respectively). Overall, patient satisfaction was maintained pre and postintervention (96% and 98%, respectively). Conclusions Use of the encounter card improved patients’ feelings of engagement during their visits. Further research is required to determine the impact of these tools on providers’ engagement and patient outcomes to improve quality of care in hand surgery. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic II.