Creating a Zone of Openness to Increase Patient-Centered Care

Summary

This study implements a simple evidence-based patient activation intervention - "Ask 3 Questions"- augmented by a novel theory-based intervention - "Open Communication" - aimed at activating patients and healthcare providers. The goal of this project is to increase patient and physician's preparedness for more having more questions, expressing differing opinions, and working collaboratively in making medical decisions that are both informed and responsive to patients' needs and preferences.

Conditions

• Patient Engagement
• Physician's Role
• Physician-Patient Relationship

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Ask 3 Questions

Participants were asked to bring an "Ask 3" questions flyer into their appointment to use if they needed to make a choice about their health care during their appointment. These 3 questions have been shown to help patients make more informed decisions about their healthcare.

BEHAVIORAL

Open Communication

Open Communication includes a combination of interventions. 1) Participants used a Visit Companion Booklet to write out issues they would like to discuss with their physician during their appointment before showing up. They were also asked to write out any next steps decided on during their appointment and to repeat back to their doctor what they wrote before leaving. 2\) Patients watched a short, informational cartoon video to better understand the Visit Companion Booklet. 3\) Participating physicians received a training through the use of a Standardized Patient Instructor as a means of providing convenient, individualized training on communication techniques. Dyads (physicians and their medical assistants) were trained on how to incorporate the Visit Companion Booklet into workflow.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• Dartmouth College

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Rochester

  collaborator OTHER

• Ideo

  collaborator INDUSTRY

• PRN Consulting

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Palo Alto Medical Foundation

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Ming Tai-Seale, PhD, MPH · Palo Alto Medical Foundation

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

SINGLE

Model

FACTORIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2014-06-30

Primary Completion

2015-04-30

Completion

2015-05-31