Physicians and patients agree that self-care is important to health and wellbeing, yet 75 percent of patients say they haven’t discussed self-care with their physician within the last two years. That’s according to a new survey released in July 2019, conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Samueli Integrative Health Programs.(1)
According to the survey, two contradictory facts fuel the lack of self-care conversation.
- Nearly half of the doctors (46 percent) say patients do not seem interested in the topic.
- The majority of patients (72 percent) say they are interested in discussing self-care with their healthcare provider.
In his final analysis of the survey, Wayne Jonas, MD, Executive Director of Samueli Integrative Health Programs, practicing family physician, and Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University and The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, suggests five ways physicians can help break down the barriers that prevent conversations with patients about self-care.
1. If you think a patient isn’t interested in hearing about nutrition or exercise, trust the stats: 72 percent are interested. And we know it’s a discussion you, too, want to have! The survey says that 93 percent of physicians want to give their patients more info about self-care, and 97 percent of physicians feel their patients would benefit from a better understanding of self-care.
2. Lack of time during patient visits, cited by 78 percent of physicians, is a major obstacle when it comes to discussing self-care – even though everyone knows how much you want to have that conversation! To work around this, Dr. Jonas suggests using tools such as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs MyStory: Personal Health Inventory (PHI),(2) a first step to help you start a conversation about self-care with a patient. You might also look into the tool Dr. Jonas created and offers for free on his website. It’s called the HOPE note, a tool to help gather patient information that goes beyond regular medical visit issues.(3)
“There’s no question that time is a crucial factor when it comes to delivering good quality healthcare,” says Dr. Jonas. “And one path to better patient outcomes and lower costs is to increase referrals.” That does not mean you need to be a certified yoga instructor, a Doctor of Psychology, or know how to whip up nutritional meals. What that does mean is that you need trusted, verified experts on speed dial. Or, if possible, expand your staff to include health coaches and medical teams that can take over behavior modification and self-care education.
3. “One of the biggest things doctors talk about is the administrative burdens placed on them that are nonmedical in nature,” says Dr. Jonas. According to the Medscape Physician Compensation Report 2018,(4) an annual report that looks at U.S. physician compensation and other work environment factors, nearly a third of physicians say they spend 20 hours or more a week on paperwork and administrative tasks. Beyond increasing administrative staff, you can check out the American Medical Association’s STEPS Forward,(5) an open-access platform featuring more than 50 modules that offer actionable, expert-driven strategies and insights supported by practical resources and tools.
4. One of the quickest, healthiest, and smartest ways to ensure that you’re there for your patients’ self-care needs and questions is to take care of yourself. The Samueli Integrative Health Programs self-care survey says that 50 percent of physicians report symptoms of burnout. “Self-care can address that,” stresses Dr. Jonas. “Here’s a bonus for both physician and patient. Doctors who engage in healthy self-care not only lower risk of burnout but they also tend to engage more in self-care talk with their patients.”
5. The final barrier to discussing self-care with patients is pretty cut ‘n dry: some physicians just aren’t into chatting about self-care. In fact, only 38 percent of physicians feel “very comfortable” talking with patients about how self-care affects life goals. You could consider ongoing professional development classes and continuing education courses that deal with communication skills. Or, you could go back and re-read points 2 and 3. Call in the cavalry! Get extra help! Build your trusted list of referrals! But don’t increase risk of burnout by piling uncomfortable responsibilities on your plate…not when there are experts out there who can help you out.
Bottom line, barriers that might prevent discussions about self-care with your patients are largely manageable – with tools and experts available to make discussing the topic easier, more effective, and less costly.
Resources
1) Why is Self-Care So Important for Health? (2019, August 08).
4) Kane, L. (2018, April 11). Medscape Physician Compensation Report 2018.
5) Real-world solutions to enhance clinical practice effectiveness. (n.d.).
