How can you help patients commit to lifelong disease prevention?

Adhering to medication schedule, control of diet, and having a good sleep are basic and critical attributes for a healthy outcome for patients in most diseases.

Je dirai que la base est d’établir une relation de confiance avec le patient. La réussite d’un traitement est liée en grande partie à l’observance (suivi ou non du protocole fourni par le médecin), donc il faut apprendre à écouter, bien informer et établir un climat de confiance !

Understanding patient readiness is pivotal for effective behavior change. Utilizing tools like the transtheoretical model helps gauge their stage. In the precontemplation stage, focus on delivering compelling information to raise awareness about disease prevention benefits. For those in preparation, collaborate on setting realistic goals and creating plans to overcome potential obstacles. Personalized success stories or case studies can be potent motivators, fostering relatability and reinforcing positive outcomes. Tailoring interventions with empathy enhances patient engagement and promotes successful behavior change.

Find out what brings the patient joy: seeing their granddaughter? fishing? flying to the New Orleans for Mardi Gras? Find out what their goals are: retiring to Idaho? competing in a road race? Then, ask them to spend time visualizing what that looks like: 5 years from now, 10 years from now, 15 years from now. How do they view aging? independence? Great books to help patients understand their entire health journey include Outlive by Peter Attia, Imaginable by Jane McGonigal and Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. Explain to them that they are in the driver's seat. This can be a long fulfilling ride through the country or it can be a 52 car pile up in the next mile depending upon how they treat that vehicle called the Human Body.

Readiness is one of the amazing steps to help your patients get prepared and come to the realization of what's going on with them.

Building rapport and trust isn't just a skill; it's an art. It's about creating a space where patients feel heard, valued, and understood. The essence lies in genuine empathy, respect, and a sincere interest in their needs. In the digital realm, active listening translates to understanding user feedback, adapting solutions, and ensuring a seamless experience.

As a practitioner and patient, building rapport is crucial with laying the groundwork of a strong therapeutic relationship. Without it, there is a constant feeling of distrust.

Building trust in critical in patients ability to acknowledge and receive any information you try to provide about their future and the prevention or progression of chronic disease. It also allows you to understand their views and take them into account as you provide education, information and have open and honest conversations.

Apart from rapport and turst- of there are certain mandates with bonus points by insurance authoraties,schools,colleges wil help in imbibing healthy way of living

Bem, um relacionamento preventivo. O acolhimento e a escuta de primeiro momento é um bom começo.Como, respondendo todas as suas dúvidas saber dizer "sim ou "não ". Procure sempre ter um lugar de privacidade e um tom de voz onde não expôs as duas queixas. Acompanhá-lo e motiva lo a mudanças de vida.

Motivational interviewing, anchored in empathy, discrepancy development, resistance navigation, and self-efficacy support, proves pivotal to lasting change . Establishing a connection through empathy forms the foundation for collaborative health decisions. Understanding the patient's perspective fosters a crucial sense of trust, facilitating a pathway to healthier choices. Navigating resistance with finesse, we empower patients through acknowledging progress and highlighting achievements. This instills confidence, providing them with a sense of control over their health journey. The art of open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries becomes a transformative canvas, guiding patients to turn barriers into breakthroughs.

Motivational interviewing, anchored in empathy, discrepancy development, resistance navigation, and self-efficacy support, proves pivotal to lasting change . Establishing a connection through empathy forms the foundation for collaborative health decisions. Understanding the patient's perspective fosters a crucial sense of trust, facilitating a pathway to healthier choices. Navigating resistance with finesse, we empower patients through acknowledging progress and highlighting achievements. This instills confidence, providing them with a sense of control over their health journey. The art of open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries becomes a transformative canvas, guiding patients to turn barriers into breakthroughs.

One thing I have found helpful in my keynote talks is to ask yourself - what are you losing by not taking action? Your brain naturally focuses on the negative. So let's flip that and focus on the benefits of change. We all have the power to change. The key is taking imperfect action.

Imagine motivational interviewing as the art of gardening. You’re not just planting seeds; you’re nurturing them, understanding that each plant (or patient) may need a different approach to flourish. Some need more water, others more sunlight. By exploring their ambivalence, we gently unearth the barriers to change, much like weeds, and water their desire for growth with encouragement and support. It’s a delicate dance of give and take, where we guide with a gentle hand, allowing the intrinsic motivation to bloom beautifully.

Helping patients commit to lifelong disease prevention starts with establishing genuine rapport, a task easier said than done. Then, the pivotal question is "why?" Understanding the patient's genuine desire for change and the underlying motivation is essential. What is their compelling reason for introducing changes? Defining a powerful health vision can provide a tangible outcome to strive for. I recently got inspired by Peter Attia's new book "Outlive" which exemplifies how a health vision shapes present choices and defines a meaningful exercise regimen. Equally important is exploring why certain behaviors persist despite the knowledge of healthier alternatives. Are the negative consequences perhaps not deemed serious enough?

When I speak to patient groups or workplaces, I follow up the talk with an e-book of the key points and extra resources. That way, they can re-read the main points and also it reinforces your key messages as well.

Giving resources often doesn’t not work well unless we both work together to identify the patients’ specific needs. Additionally, it’s important to assess if the patients are motivated and seeking resources. There must be focused conversations about issues that can identify the patients’ needs and lead them to think about themselves. Ideally, it’s much better if the patients start asking about resources, so we can discuss and decide which ones to focus on

You can tell someone to do something but it's going to be so much more successful if they want to make the changes themselves. Empower people with knowledge, use stories to reinforce your messages and people will be much more likely to change.

One of the most helpful aspects I find is using a health coaching framework. Using this approach sees us stand together side by side and face the same direction. We then share a journey together which is almost inevitably never a straight line and the pace and terrain will vary. At the very outset, the pace and direction are governed by the patient’s values and self-care goals. Empowering patients to self manage is not abrogation of responsibility of our roles as clinicians but instead with a healthy level of our own self awareness we do our best to “hold the space” for our patients - ensuring the goals and progress are safe and not allowing our own baggage to crowd their progress. Slow and steady wins the race.

The role of provider is to guide and prescribe, but the patients must have an active role to take control of their own health. Empowerment can be initiated first by holding them accountable, assisting them to set small goals and plan their own preventative health activities. Empower them by providing the resources where they can learn at their own pace. Build confidence by measuring and sharing their outcomes. Create a community champion who can engage more people towards a collective goal. The healthcare delivery is becoming complex and we need out patients to be an empowered partner rather than a silent follower.

Empower patients to take an active role in managing their health and preventing disease. Collaboratively develop personalized prevention plans that align with their goals, preferences, and lifestyle. Encourage self-monitoring, goal-setting, problem-solving, and decision-making skills to foster autonomy and self-efficacy in disease prevention efforts.

In my experience with self management. The combination of amino acids, supplements and cannabinoid therapy promotes homeostasis.

Educate your patient and keep creating awareness about your subjects. Make patient aware and conscious of the condition they are going through and keep motivating towards the best for them

Recognize that disease prevention is a lifelong journey that requires ongoing commitment and support. Encourage regular follow-up appointments and check-ins to monitor progress, address challenges, and celebrate successes. Consider the broader social, environmental, and systemic factors that influence patients' ability to engage in preventive care, and advocate for policies and interventions that promote health equity and access to preventive services for all individuals. Additionally, foster a culture of prevention within healthcare settings by integrating preventive care into routine practice and promoting a team-based approach to addressing patients' preventive care needs

Ensuring lifelong disease prevention demands a holistic approach with a focus on consistent adherence to health routines. From diet and exercise to medication and lifestyle, unwavering determination is key. Psychoeducation, regular therapy visits, and family involvement are vital for sustained commitment. Tailored care plans, achievable goals, and technology enhance adherence. Cultivating a positive mindset and peer support further reinforce commitment. Periodic evaluations and plan adjustments ensure ongoing relevance, making this strategy a powerful tool for patients in their lifelong journey of disease prevention.

I have found that by EDUCATING and explaining a disease state in the most simple terms and do so over the course of multiple visits, patients are more on board. I encourage questions. Anticipatory Guidance is a term I use often.

Nation wide mass campaigning for prevention of diseases and healthy living should be propogated,Like India has propogated Pulse Polio initative for eradication of Polio,same can be done for various NCDs- like Hypertension,Diabetes etc- which will reduce burden over health care systems in long term.