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Listening to patients a recurring theme at ASHRM conference

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I recently covered the American Society For Healthcare Risk Management's Annual Conference & Exhibition in Anaheim, California earlier this week. And while most of the topics fell outside of my usual workers compensation beat, I noticed that presenters at the conference kept recommending one major tool to help patients get well -- listening.

Teresa Baumgartner, risk management consultant with the Illinois Risk Management Center, spoke in a Monday session about managing patients who inappropriately use opioids and other prescriptions.She spoke of the need to wean patients who have developed a dependency on such drugs and responsibly prescribing opioids in the first place.

Ms. Baumgartner also mentioned that some doctors, in an effort to curb opioid dependency before it starts, have been underprescribing opioids to patients who may have good reason to take such drugs in the short term, such as a severe injury. Limiting prescriptions to such patients can increase their likelihood of visiting the emergency room for pain, which can increase overall medical costs, Ms. Baumgartner said.

Considering how often the workers comp community talks about the need to curb inappropriate opioid prescriptions, it really stood out to me to hear someone say that the use of opioids can sometimes be beneficial -- both medically and financially. Since pain is defined by the patient's experience, Ms. Baumgartner mentioned that doctors need to listen thoroughly to their patients to understand their pain and gauge what type of medication might be medically appropriate.

The theme of listening popped up again on Tuesday, when ASHRM President Jacque Mitchell and several panelists asked attendees to listen closely to concerns that family members have about the medical treatment of their loved ones.

Edie Alley, a clinical nurse specialist at Sentara Healthcare in Norfolk, Virginia, gave the example of how her mother died following routine hip surgery. She noted that her mother's medical providers failed to listen to concerns that she was having about her mother's deteriorating condition, despite the fact that she's a practicing medical professional.

"They all knew I was a nurse and they avoided talking to me and answering my questions," Ms. Alley said. "So I can't imagine how people with no health care background must feel sitting in a hospital watching things unfold before their eyes and not knowing who to talk to or where to go."

Even NBA great and former Los Angeles Lakers point guard Earvin "Magic" Johnson reiterated the need for listening to patients when he gave the closing keynote at ASHRM on Wednesday. He said attentive clinicians have played a crucial role in his health since he was diagnosed with HIV in 1991.

“Please care for them and ask them that one question: 'Anything else going on?' What they use you for a lot of times, they can't get at home, they can't get from their best friend. (In) just that one moment, you may save their lives just by being a sounding board,” Mr. Johnson said.

Workers comp sources that I've spoken with over the years seem to be pretty tuned into the message of listening to patients already. For instance, asking whether an injured worker is facing stress outside of their injury can often pinpoint psychosocial factors that can extend the life of a workers comp claim.

But it seems that experts at ASHRM were asking everyone to go one step further and show compassion and understanding for the experiences that patients go through. I think that's always a good piece of advice, no matter what industry you happen to work in.