A concern of every team that cares for patients with AMD and DME is whether or not their patients understand and follow the recommended treatment plan. The
following five pearls may help increase the likelihood that older patients hear and understand the directives from their retina team.
1. Extra time spent during the first visit will pay great dividends in the future. “The extra time invested during the first patient visit is
critical because you need to explain to patients about their disease, management strategies, treatment options, safety and compliance issues,” says Seenu
Hariprasad, MD, Chief of the Vitreoretinal Service at the University of Chicago. “If patients have a good understanding of their disease and feel they can
ask questions, it forges a strong relationship by establishing trust at the outset. Not only is it good medicine, but it will also expedite future visits.”
2. Engage family members and earn their support. Make sure all caregivers are in the exam room before beginning patient education! As Dr.
Hariprasad notes, it’s very discouraging and inefficient to spend 10 minutes with a patient explaining his or her disease only to learn that the caregiver
was in the waiting room and the entire conversation needs to be repeated. Caregivers need to be engaged and respected, and should be made to feel free to
ask questions. They are instrumental in the successful management of the patient at so many levels, from transportation to encouragement through the
treatments, to post-injection care.
3. Utilize various educational materials provided by our ophthalmic organizations. Unfortunately, patients will forget about 80% of what they’re
told during a clinic visit. Furthermore, over half of patients can’t read beyond a middle school level and, in certain cases, language barriers exist. To
fill this gap, Dr. Hariprasad highly recommends that his colleagues utilize patient handouts sold by associations such as the American Academy of
Ophthalmology. These physician-recommended and patient-approved handouts are optimized for better comprehension and are available on nearly every common
disease state in various languages. Dr. Hariprasad believes that his patients value these resources, which they can review at home with their caregivers to
reinforce the messages delivered in the clinic.
4. Office staff, technicians and photographers are critical in the education process. It’s not atypical for patients and caregivers to spend more
time in clinic with ancillary staff than with the retina specialist. Some of Dr. Hariprasad’s staff members have received complimentary letters from
grateful patients regarding the “hand-holding” and education they provided. It’s imperative that retina specialists educate and empower staff to take a
role in educating patients throughout the clinic visit. Staff members should be prepared to answer patient questions as this will enhance the overall
patient experience and save the retina specialist time.
5. Older patients are becoming increasingly savvy with technology; therefore, remember to educate using diverse educational platforms. “I’ve
noticed year after year that it’s becoming increasingly common for my older patients to use smart phones and tablets,” says Dr. Hariprasad. “We must
capitalize on this by recommending educational sites, such as those created by the American Society of Retina Specialists. With beautiful graphics and
informative videos on AMD and DME, these websites have reinforced my message to patients. Ultimately, an educated and informed patient is a more compliant
patient.”
By adding these steps to your daily practice, you can build a stronger bond with your patients and their caregivers, potentially improving patient
education and compliance.