Reducing Low-Value Care in Vulnerable Populations – Patient Messaging
The resources below can help with getting the Choosing Wisely message out to patients in safety-net practices, hospitals and systems. They have been broken into sections by time commitment:
- If you have five minutes, check out our top five insights from each area.
- If you have twenty minutes, read sample scripts, review tools or listen to a short podcast.
- If you have an hour to dedicate, read the source journal articles, watch a webinar or join our learning network to connect with others.
If you have five minutes…
Consider these five things when communicating with vulnerable patients about low-value care:
Many patients want to be active participants in their healthcare decisions. Clinicians can build trust by engaging in active listening to them.
Consider including these crucial components of your Choosing Wisely conversations: Frame the message in a positive; outline the risks and benefits; and explain the care plan and next steps.
Involve your care team so patients hear the Choosing Wisely message in multiple ways from multiple people.
Reinforce your message with posters, decision aids and additional patient-centered materials.
Partner with your organization’s communications staff and community partners to help spread the message that more care is not always better care.
If you have 20 minutes…
READ:
- Our white paper on communicating with low-income patients about Choosing Wisely.
- The Choosing Wisely Implementation Toolkit developed by Quality Counts includes tools you can integrate CW into your workflow.
- “Lessons Learned from Patient Engagement”
- This infographic can be used as a tool for conversation (TK)
LISTEN:
- Listen to podcasts on low-value care
DO:
- Place “Commitment Posters” in exam and waiting rooms to show your organization’s commitment to reducing inappropriate use of antibiotics.
- Place posters, flyers and cards in waiting or exam rooms, or give to patients as handouts.
- Use sample scripts can help practice staff and clinicians have Choosing Wisely conversations with patients (See page 4 of Quality Counts’ Choosing Wisely Implementation Toolkit).
If you have 60 minutes…
READ:
- “Enhancing Patient/Clinician Communication: Leveraging Choosing Wisely® as a Tool for Achieving Health Equity”
- “Treating, Fast and Slow: Americans’ Understanding of and Responses to Low-Value Care”
WATCH:
DO:
- Interactive instructional modules can enhance physician and patient communication.
- These simulated encounters from both patient and provider points of view can aid conversations about avoiding unnecessary antibiotics.
- Facilitate small group community conversations
If you need assistance with this toolkit or implementing Choosing Wisely in your practice or system, please contact Kate Carmody at kcarmody@abim.org.
