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Patient engagement generally describes patient involvement in their own healthcare. The concept of patient engagement is not new; for example, diabetes educators have been talking about “shared decision making” since the early 1990s.¹ It is still a current hot topic among policymakers, though, and is a key component of meaningful use legislation, the Affordable Care Act, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Strategy for Quality Improvement in Health Care. Additionally, increasing patient engagement can benefit you and your patients. Engaged patients are more likely to have better outcomes and greater satisfaction with their healthcare experience and are also less likely to file malpractice lawsuits.²

The informed consent process is an excellent time to engage patients. Ideally, an informed consent to treatment is the end result of a shared decision making process between a clinician and patient. This process, when executed appropriately, can have many benefits. It can decrease liability exposure, increase patient adherence, protect the patient’s right to self-determination and increase patient satisfaction.¹

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” (Maya Angelou)

Defining empathy can be complicated. In medicine, it is thought of as a communication competence, but it also describes the experience between physician and patient, during which the physician becomes attuned to the patient to understand what the patient is feeling. Patients also use empathy to describe a physician’s ability to understand their feelings and opinions and express compassion and concern for their well-being.¹ Although physician empathy may seem to be a low priority in comparison to technical acumen, research indicates that physician empathy has wide-ranging benefits for both physicians and patients.

What would happen to your patients if you could no longer practice medicine? Will your practice continue after you retire? What will happen to your staff or your colleagues? Every business owner and professional, no matter how passionate about a career, will eventually leave. Planned and unplanned life events such as retirement, death, physical or cognitive disabilities — or maybe a career change to teaching or writing — can trigger your departure from medicine. Developing an exit strategy will help you make business decisions that lead to a well-planned exit while also preparing for unforeseen circumstances.

The use of social media in healthcare settings has expanded far outside the scope of marketing. Today, physicians are increasingly using social media for professional networking, communicating with colleagues, collaborating with researchers, improving patient outcomes, and professional development.