When treating patients, it’s not about the care you provide during their stay at the hospital, but it’s also about the health choices they make after they’ve been treated. As a healthcare worker, it is your responsibility to encourage patients to make better health choices so that they don’t end up visiting the hospital more often than they should. However, doing this the usual way of merely advising them has lost its effectiveness over the years, which is where behavioral science techniques come in as a viable alternative.
Consider Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
Applied Behavioral Analysis is commonly used for autistic patients. It is the practice of applying the psychological principles of learning theory in a systematic way to change human or animal behavior. This therapy type typically uses a three-step process—Antecedents, Behavior, and Consequence (ABC).
Antecedents are the triggers that happen before a certain behavior occurs. This is followed by consequences as a result of a specific behavior. Understanding the ABCs is a vital step in helping you better understand your patents and how you can help them make wiser decisions regarding their health.
Strengthen Personal Connections
It’s essential to extend your influence outside the treatment room. All you need to do is identify the target behavior that needs change, and you can use your personal connections with your patients to make a difference in their lives. Track the progress to ensure that you’re doing things right, and make an effort to check up on your patients even after the treatment regularly. Instead of doing regular check-up routines, ensure that you provide them with tips or a plan that will make them live a healthier life; only then will treatment be considered a success.
Ann Lindsay, MD, a clinical professor in medicine at Stanford, says that physicians who maintain excellent communication with their patients are more than twice as effective in getting them to make life changes. These are physicians who ask patients what changes they feel they can make, and in follow-up visits, ask what else they can do. They provide patients with the needed support, allowing them to take significant steps toward better health.
Because of this, she encourages healthcare workers to influence patients to make healthy choices by becoming better communicators. “It’s a learned skill, and it’s not that complicated. You start with what patients know and work from there,” she said.
Lindsay also said that starting with small changes in a patient’s life is more effective than a complete overhaul.
Conclusion
Many physicians find influencing behavior change is challenging for lifestyle and nutrition matters. However, the tips mentioned above can help physicians and other healthcare workers encourage their patients to make healthier choices. Aside from ABA, good communication is important, as well as the initiative to extend the care beyond treatment. Regular check-up routines must be accompanied by asking the right questions to help modify a patient’s lifestyle. Start small and make your way from there!
A patient’s choices for their lifestyle and nutrition are vital to the overall success of treatment. By taking a more proactive approach to encourage them to make healthier choices, diseases will be significantly reduced, especially the ones that can be avoided through proper diet and lifestyle. At the same time, remember that a strong doctor-patient relationship is essential to make this work!
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