The influence of technology on the patient-physician relationship has been the subject of many discussions and publications. While a physician facing a computer screen throughout much of the office encounter is a vision no one believes is in the best interest of either the patient or the relationship, empathy as an admired professional trait and a successful tool in medicine is gaining support among the medical establishment. The question as to whether physicians can learn empathy has been examined. The benefits (real or potential) of digital technology in revitalizing this human interaction and technology’s potential to convey empathy must be considered. I will attempt to place some of these tools in a bit of a new light.
1. Encourage patients to utilize the patient portal.
Stage 2 of meaningful use requires that 5% of Medicare patients receive information via a patient portal; this has resulted in little less than an exercise in compliance. True interaction via the portal is not taking place. The catch-22 is that the portals provided by electronic health record (EHR) vendors are the least costly, but also the least useful. Providers are not enthusiastic about portals for good reason. Clinicians are fearful that office workflow cannot accommodate the potential volume of digital interactions. They also do not have the digital tools necessary to make the portal experience as beneficial as it can be.
Notwithstanding these barriers, I believe that a physician who encourages the use of the portal with conversations focused on patients’ participation in their own care will be seen as empathetic. Stressing the fact that the patient is being given a tool that delivers information (even if it is only a lab result) portrays the provider as a partner in care. The patient portal is the starting point of introducing patients to digital health technology. If it is the portal which is closest to the patient’s care touch point, other technologies will seem less intimidating and more relevant.
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