Cure Patients and ProfitsCure Patients and Profitswithwith
Clear Communications Clear Communications Presented by:
Barbara K. McLaughlin, VPAnd
John Lowery, Senior Director, Johns Hopkins Medicine Access Services
NPO , ICU, EMR, PET, EKG, ECGNPO , ICU, EMR, PET, EKG, ECG
In order to expedite your appointment please In order to expedite your appointment please bring your previous lab results, slides or X-Rays.bring your previous lab results, slides or X-Rays.
DFO, OPD, Contraindications, Biopsy, Carcinoma, BPH, DFO, OPD, Contraindications, Biopsy, Carcinoma, BPH, metastasizemetastasize,, PROFEE, BPH, Lymphoma PROFEE, BPH, Lymphoma
Alphabet Soup !
My mission
• To explore new worlds
• To seek out new frontiers….
• To boldly go…….
What Can We Do
• We can demand our health providers give us information we can understand.
• We can distribute samples of what we would like to see or receive from our health systems
• We will no longer sign documents we cannot understand
What Can We Do
• We can tell everyone we know that we will not operate in the state of confusion anymore-– We will not have procedures just because someone
says we should– We will not pay medical bills we cannot read or
understand– We will not undertake treatments that don’t make
sense– We will not take pills just because someone says to
Confused patients
• Terminology• Acronyms• Backgrounds• Experience• Culture
Access Means…, Understanding Means…
• Easy?• No Problemo!
Going the distance…
Johns Hopkins Medicine
• As an organization we have committed, by the year 2020, to “address all barriers to access and disparity in quality care and outcomes”.
JHM HandHolder™
Understanding the Details
What Patients Really Need
Multi – Media Communications
Results & Benefits
• Patients arriving with completed medical Patients arriving with completed medical history and other required info forms history and other required info forms
• Reduction in delays in clinic throughputReduction in delays in clinic throughput• Compliance with preparation for Compliance with preparation for
procedures and surgeriesprocedures and surgeries• Patient and physician satisfactionPatient and physician satisfaction• Ability to track bad addresses via Ability to track bad addresses via
centralized returned mailcentralized returned mail
Measuring and Tracking
0
20
40
60
80
100
Percent
OTO % RAD %
Show Rate
Before HH After HH
Otolaryngology $358,323 Radiology $233,989
Net Revenue Gains $592,312
What you take and why?
Ever read this?
What Patients want…
Plain Language!
Tailor the Message
B. R. U. 24/7
Quadrants of Clear Communication
Audio
ElectronicMulti-Cultural
Written
References / Suggested Reading• “Written Communications that Inform &
Influence”– Publisher - Harvard Business School
Press• “Moments in Leadership” Case studies
in Public Health Policy & Practice– Authors - Barbara DeBuono, Ava Rita
Gonzalez & Sara Rosenbaum
References / Suggested Reading• “ If Disney Ran Your Hospital, 9 1/2
Things You Would Do Differently– Author - Fred Lee
• “US NEWS & World Report, – BEST HOSPITALS EDITION– July 23, 2007– September 3, 2007
• Health Technology Assessment 2007