Good communication helps improve outcomes for heart patients

Patients with hardened arteries who had good communication with their healthcare providers were less likely to use the emergency room and more likely to comply with their treatment plans, according to a new study presented at the American Heart Association’s Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions this week.

Interviews of 6,810 adults with atherosclerosis, found that patients who said they communicated effectively with their providers were 52 percent more likely to report the use of prescribed cholesterol-lowering statin drugs and 26 percent more likely to report taking aspirin.

The study found that patients with good communication were 41 percent less likely to go to the emergency room. In comparison, those who reported poor communication with their healthcare providers were twice as likely to report poorer outcomes and spent $1,243 more on healthcare.

Participants were asked questions such as, “How often did your healthcare providers show respect for what you had to say?” and “How often did healthcare providers spend enough time with you?”

“A patient's beliefs about their illness, their perception of the health care system, the extent to which a physician fulfils the patient’s requests and other obstacles can make it a challenge for patients and providers to connect, said Victor Okunrintemi, of Baptist Health South Florida in Miami, who led the study.

It is not possible to say exactly how communication exactly influences health outcomes, said Okunrintemi. “However, optimal communication between patients and their healthcare providers may yield better understanding of the medical condition, build trust and confidence, motivate patients and promote adherence,” he said.

American Heart Association Meeting, Arlington, Virginia: Report AOS.01 - Abstract Oral Session, Presentation 2