The Impact Of Doctor-Patient Relationships On Employee Health

Why The Relationship Matters

A positive and trusting doctor-patient rapport is important for your employees and their overall health.

Effective doctor-patient communication is not only key to improved patient satisfaction, but improved health outcomes, too. An open dialogue puts patients at ease, boosts treatment plan adherence, and supports a better understanding of health conditions.

Shared decision-making enables physicians and patients to work as partners to achieve a health goal. This trust can build confidence in a doctor and their recommendations, strengthening the ability to provide personalized care. It can also empower both doctors and patients to take greater accountability for health outcomes.

Challenges In The Current Healthcare Landscape

Our current healthcare system presents several challenges to the doctor-patient relationship, including disjointed care, administrative red tape, and an inability to view patient data across medical, dental, specialty, or vision plans. All can affect your employees’ access to the support they need, and the level of trust in their doctor.

A recent study from the American Board of Internal Medicine found that doctors feel poor communication is the biggest contributor to patient mistrust. And while 98% of surveyed physicians said spending an appropriate amount of time with patients is important, more than 23% of surveyed patients felt their doctor didn’t spend enough time with them.

By partnering with physicians and leveraging connected data, Anthem is taking steps to simplify administration and integrate capabilities into systems doctors already use. Through an advanced platform called Health OS, Anthem is utilizing one of the industry’s largest data sets – more than 45 million members – supplying providers with real-time data and insights leading to smarter, more agile patient care decision making.

Health OS creates a longitudinal patient record across several disparate sources of information such as Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), health information exchanges (HIEs), and care management platforms, allowing complete health information to be shared securely between doctors. When paired with AI-driven insights, this whole-health view means patients receive proactive care at the right time, in the right healthcare setting. Doctors can even consult with each other virtually about a patients’ care plan and then provide specific resources to help them achieve health goals or follow their personalized plan for treatment and support.

With less distraction and fewer administrative burdens – like prior authorizations or payment settlement hang-ups – doctors can spend more time listening, connecting, and caring for their patients.

Expanding Access To Health Support

Anthem is also broadening the ways employees can connect with their healthcare. By providing greater access to health resources, support is accessible beyond in-person office visits. Employees can find the best care for their needs using options like virtual care, online chat, or communication with live care teams and advocates through the Sydney^SM Health app. They now have access to virtual annual preventive care (wellness)¹ exams, making it more convenient than ever to get the care they need, when they need it.

Through the personalized nature of the Sydney app details from virtual care visits can be sent to an employee’s primary care provider, helping to further integrate their healthcare information. Employees can also view benefits and claims, access their digital ID card, or engage with other wellness tools and workplace incentive programs – all in one place. Utilizing the nutrition tracker, employees can track a meal in real time and scan whole foods, labels, and bar codes, creating reports for suggestions on how to improve their well-being. This information can be shared with providers for recommendations on improving nutrition and adjusted dietary recommendations for specific health conditions.

The Future Of Healthcare Is Personal

As healthcare transforms to be increasingly personalized and data-driven, the physician-patient relationship will play a large role in shaping health outcomes and lowering costs of care. Total Health Connections, Anthem's advocacy strategy encourages collaboration, removes roadblocks, and provides whole-health support to deliver high-quality care. The future lies in not only empowering doctors, but empowering consumers with the tools they need to better care for their health.

1 Virtual annual preventive care (wellness) visits are available through the Sydney Health app.

Sydney Health is offered through an arrangement with Carelon Digital Platforms, a separate company offering mobile application services on behalf of your health plan. ©2023 The Virtual Primary Care experience is offered through an arrangement with Hydrogen Health.