Given the short time for medical appointments, effective communication between doctors and patients is challenging. Visible Health aims to address this by encouraging ongoing collaboration between doctors and patients using mobile apps and digital content. Their approach involves providing preparatory information to patients before visits, discussing personalized digital materials during visits to enhance understanding, and allowing patients access to shared information after visits to facilitate adherence and follow up questions. The goal is to improve medical communication both within and beyond the constraints of brief appointment times through technology-enabled engagement at all stages of care.

1. The 20 Great Challenges of Health and Medicine:
Improving Medical Communication
4: Talking to patients is not
reimbursable. Given the profit-
driven reality of our healthcare
system, appointments are short and
patients have little time to share
their questions and concerns. How
can doctors and patients
communicate most effectively
during brief medical visits?
Wednesday, January 2, 13

2. Question 4:
“The idea at the core of what we are doing with Visible Health is
encouraging an ongoing collaboration between the physician and the
patient. Our particular approach is to use technology - mobile apps and a
cloud-based platform - to address some of the factors contributing to the
complexity of medical communication.
John K. Cox In terms of workflow, we are borrowing from a famous Dale Carnegie quote:
President, Visible
Health
Austin, TX ‘Tell the audience what you're going to say, say it; then tell them
what you've said.’
I believe clinicians should engage the patient before, during and after their
interactions, using mobile technology and digital content to personalize,
enhance and operationalize those conversations. The following slides
illustrate this concept.”
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3. Question 4:
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4. Question 4:
Before the patient sees
the doctor...
Prior to the patient visit, the physician’s staff shares
preparatory materials (videos, documents, websites,
apps) with the patient for exploration prior to the
office visit. This helps the patient prepare, formulate
better questions, and avoid mis-information
throughout the process.
Even better: if the context of the visit is known in
advance, these materials can be condition-specific,
increasing their impact.
Wednesday, January 2, 13

5. Question 4:
At the doctor’s office...
During the visit, the physician augments the
conversation by using mobile tools to create and
present personalized, contextual information to the
patient. Many of these tools have been shown to
increase patient understanding and health literacy.
Moreover, digital information can be shared with the
patient directly, increasing retention. This approach
combined with pre-education results in an efficient
and effective visit.
Even better: hospitals and clinics can incorporate
best practices from around their organization to
improve the overall quality and consistency of
patient communication.
Wednesday, January 2, 13

6. Question 4:
Back home, after the
visit...
After the visit, the patient can read and review
documents that were shared, watch videos that were
suggested, install apps that were recommended and
more. Not only does digital sharing make the
information more understandable and retainable,
but it also makes it actionable, increasing the
likelihood of adherence and follow-through. And
over time, this opens the door for interaction with
the physician outside of the visit.
Even better: the patient can easily share the context
of their healthcare conversations with loved ones
and other care providers to further improve the
quality of their healthcare.
Wednesday, January 2, 13