Key benefits of the shared medical appointment concept
A recent article from Cleveland Clinic researchers reviewing the concept of shared medical appointments summarizes that the programs offer benefits based on nine key principles:
- Group exposure in shared medical appointments combats isolation, which in turn helps to remove doubts about one’s ability to manage illness.
- Patients learn about disease self-management vicariously by witnessing others’ illness experiences.
- Patients feel inspired by seeing others who are coping well.
- Group dynamics lead patients and providers to developing more equitable relationships.
- Providers feel increased appreciation and rapport toward colleagues leading to increased efficiency.
- Providers learn from the patients how better to meet their patients’ needs.
- Adequate time allotment of the SMA leads patients to feel supported.
- Patients receive professional expertise from the provider in combination with firsthand information from peers, resulting in more robust health knowledge.
- Patients have the opportunity to see how the physicians interact with fellow patients, which allows them to get to know the physician and better determine their level of trust.
The take-home message from the shared medical appointments concept is that “it may hit a quadruple aim,” Dr. Rensel said. “Access, cost, outcomes, and provider satisfaction.”
The Shared Medical Appointments program received a grant from Genzyme. Dr. Rensel reported consulting or advisory board relationships with Serono, Biogen, Teva, Genzyme, Novartis, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Dr. Dhand had no disclosures to report.