Page 82 - Health Literacy, eHealth, and Communication: Putting the Consumer First: Workshop Summary

Health Literacy, eHealth, and Communication: Putting the Consumer First: Workshop Summary

PAneL

what they hear in a physicians office (Eiser, 1982), such summaries could
have a big effect on how the patients view technology.
A major challenge is the reimbursement system and the way that
incentives are structured. Currently, particularly for community health
centers, the in-person visit is the major source of income. But if technology
use decreases the number of visits, it also decreases income. This issue
must be addressed.
Crossing the Quality Chasm stated that health care in the past has been
based on episodic encounters with the delivery system (IOM, 2001). It
is important to create a system with a more continuous cycle of care
and continuous healing relationships. Furthermore, as the report states,
the system should encourage “all types of health care interactions that
improve information transfer.” On average, a patient’s visit to a clinician
lasts 16 minutes, during which the conversation between clinician and
patient may cover six topics (Blumenthal et al., 1999). Information therapy
and patient-centered HIT can help patients maximize the value of these
visits by, for example, allowing them to obtain information in advance of
the visit. By using HIT to obtain information in advance, the patient has
a better sense of what might be expected, which sets the stage for more
efficient use of time during the encounter. An after-visit summary would
then reinforce what went on during the visit.
Seidman concluded by saying that use of PHRs increases ongoing
communication for risk reduction, health promotion, care management,
and, ultimately, decision support, particularly concerning high-end proce-
dures. The Center for Information Therapy’s annual meeting will explore
HIT and patient-centered care as well as information therapy and health
disparities, plus information therapy and health literacy.

DISCuSSION

George isham, M.D., M.S.
HealthPartners
Moderator

An audience member said that what has been presented certainly
has implications for building the medical home. The challenge will be to
involve patients. Gauthier responded that in the PeaceHealth project par-
ticipating clinics were often the first ones to introduce the concept of the
Shared Care Plan and its personal health record to patients. They would
display tent cards on their desks and stickers on their windows that said,
“We support the Shared Care Plan.” That advocacy for the personal health
record helped convince patients.
Solomon said that MiVIA is actually the medical home for the people

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