A new report, “A Fragile Nation in Poor Health,” concludes that patients are looking for medical professionals who will check up on them and offer guidance between office visits. This will go a long way toward ensuring that patients follow their doctors’ treatment plans and are aware of solutions from the healthcare community.
When data indicates that eighty-three percent of consumer survey respondents said they do not follow treatment plans given to them by their doctors exactly as prescribed, it really underscores the importance of having a healthcare professional in the home to monitor patients and help ensure that caregivers are following prescribed treatment plans.
Research shows that patients do a better job following doctors’ orders if they are monitored between visits. Forty-two percent said they would do better following a treatment plan if they received encouragement between visits and 35 percent said they’d do better if they received reminders via email, voicemail or text to do specific things, like take their medication.
The first step in reducing healthcare costs is to prevent patients from reversing the progress they are making and getting sicker to the point that more costly medical care is required, including ER visits. I find that when patients are properly supervised by a medical professional, they are more apt to follow prescribed treatment plans and stay healthier, which reduces stress on family caregivers.