Smarter Patients Are Healthier Patients It’s time to recognize that motivated patients are the rule, not the exception. Effective patient education can improve the quality of health care a patient receives. Agency Services Trapezoid Healthcare Communications LLC Alan Toltzis President Medicines Won’t Work Sitting on a Shelf Every day 75% of patients with high blood pressure don’t take action. They either don’t know they have high blood pressure or they know about it but don’t take their medicine. For many women, breast cancer is a major source of worry. But heart disease, not breast cancer, is the No. 1 killer of women. Compared with men, twice as many women die within a year of having a heart attack. In many cases, it’s because women don’t recognize the signs. They get to the hospital later than men, and they wait longer for treatment in the emergency room. Even though the stigma of mental illness has been diminished, mental-health problems are underdiagnosed. For instance, only about 20% of patients with depression are ever diagnosed. Depression costs the U.S. workforce $44 billion annually. Most patients who seek treatment for ADHD don’t go back for a second prescription because they think the medication isn’t working. Actually this is a normal part of the titration process and should be expected, if patients were counseled properly. Most people aren’t getting the healthcare they deserve and need. But it’s not because the right medicine isn’t available or because physicians lack the tools and skills to make the right diagnosis. It’s often because the industry has forgotten that the best healthcare starts with the patient. And it’s the patient who must initiate care by seeking help. Lost in Translation Even after a physician makes a correct diagnosis and gives the patient the right prescription, a lot of what happens next is in the hands of the patient. The patient has to take his or her prescription to the pharmacy but 50% of prescriptions never get filled. And the half who do get their prescription filled have to take the medicine correctly. Overuse, underuse, and erratic use are common. There are many ways that even the most dedicated patient can go wrong, even those who have chronic conditions. Patients as Partners Medical schools, recognizing that a patient is more than a constellation of signs and symptoms, have placed new emphasis on treating the patient, rather than treating the disease. There is no “average” patient; all patients should have healthcare tailored to their unique medical, social, and other needs. But how can physicians provide this level of individualized service under the constraints of managed care? The answer lies in patient education. Education serves many purposes and depending on how, when, and to whom it’s delivered, it can: • Make patients aware of a condition so that they can be diagnosed and treated; • Help patients get the right treatment for their condition; • Provide support for caregivers; and • Improve patient compliance. Effective patient education can improve the quality of healthcare a patient receives. An informed and motivated patient can be an active participant in his or her treatment. By asking questions and communicating important information, medical or otherwise, that impacts on his or her treatment, this patient will make the best use of the precious few minutes spent with a physician during a typical office visit. It’s time to recognize that motivated patients are the rule, not the exception. They want to know as much as they can about their health and about any treatments they may be receiving. Indeed, the single biggest use of the Internet is for patients’ research into medical conditions and treatments. The desire is there, and it’s time to satisfy that need. The industry needs to develop communications tailored to the concerns of patients at different stages of the continuum: trial, adoption, compliance, and persistence. The same amount of discipline needs to be brought to this task as the industry puts toward physician communications. The industry needs to look beyond statistics and help treat the patient, not the disease. The Bottom Line Patient education can have a tremendous positive impact on the lives of patients. The best way to make patients better is to make them better patients. But patient education also makes financial sense. Effective patient education can expand the patient pool and increase compliance. Proper use of pharmaceuticals by real-world patients should result in better outcomes and better perceived effectiveness. Thoughtful, effective education is healthy for patients and for the corporate bottom line. What more could a company ask for? Trapezoid Healthcare Communications LLC, Yardley, Pa., is a full-service healthcare communications agency and a division of Axis Healthcare Communications LLC. For more information, visit trapezoidhc.com. September 2004 VIEW on Marketing

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