Preventative Health Care for the Outpatient Population

 

As Americans spend more time at work, the demands placed on them to stay productive have only increased. But the demands of life outside the office have remained largely unchanged. With longer commutes, increased social media usage and long shifts at work, Americans are spending more time in the “office.” That means that the prevention that used to take place once a person was past their initial health concerns is now a priority every day.  As a result, many Americans are going to the doctor more often than ever before.

Because preventive care is not just important for the patient — it’s an essential part of the doctor’s working life, too. That’s why it’s important for doctors and their staff to have the right tools available to help them stay on top of everything they need to do with their patients. Below, the dedicated and compassionate team of professionals from ParCare Community Health Network will explain how healthcare providers can help in providing preventive care.

 

What is Preventative Care?

Preventive care is the practice of monitoring your health to detect and prevent illness at an early stage. It encompasses both screenings for physical health conditions, as well as counseling about behavioral health concerns and potential solutions. Preventative care is important for everyone, but especially for people who are growing older and less likely to have seen a doctor regularly in their lifetime. It can help to catch physical and mental health conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, early and prevent them from progressing. It can also help to avoid or reduce lowered cognitive function and overall health concerns, such as cancer, heart disease and mental illness.

 

Why Is Preventative Care Important?

The most important part of preventive care is keeping your health in check to begin with. Preventive care can catch physical and mental health conditions early, and can help to avoid or reduce lowered cognitive function and overall health concerns, such as cancer, heart disease and mental illness. The most common chronic conditions — heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and cancer — were responsible for nearly half of all deaths in the United States in 2016. These conditions can cause serious problems and even death if left untreated, explain from the community-based health center ParCare Community Health Network.

 

How to Provide Preventative Care

Physicians who want to provide more preventive care should be prepared for the following: 

- Understanding the importance of preventive care and what it entails for their patients. It’s not just about the physical diagnosis, but also a chance to address mental health concerns, address lifestyle issues such as smoking, and address issues that could be contributing to a patient’s health concerns, such as stress or poor sleep habits. It’s important to keep in mind that preventive care is a conversation, not a one-sided lecture.

- Providing the tools necessary to make preventive care happen. In many practices, this means implementing a tracking system to track patient visits, scheduling and reminders to stay on top of all the necessary follow-ups. Most electronic health record systems can facilitate this tracking, but staff members should be trained to use it properly.

 - Communicating more effectively with patients to ensure they understand why they need to see their doctor. Most patients don’t want to go to the doctor because they’re sick; they go because they’re healthy and want to stay that way. That’s why it’s important to keep the importance of preventive care in mind while they’re with you — they should walk away with a better understanding of why they need to go back regularly.

 

How to Start a Program for Preventative Care

According to the health specialists from ParCare Community Health Network, physicians who want to start a program for preventive care should be prepared for the following:

 - Finding a way to stay organized. It’s hard to prevent ailments and address medical issues if you’re not prioritizing your schedule appropriately. In order to prevent these issues from getting worse, you need to make sure that you prioritize your schedule — both with patients and with paperwork. If you’re struggling, consider hiring a virtual assistant to help you stay on top of it all.

- Making sure that your office space is conducive for preventive care. You want to make sure that everyone who goes to work in your office feels comfortable and well-equipped to address the needs of their patients. Keeping the space clean, bright and organized, and equipping the space with the tools necessary for preventive care is crucial.

 - Making sure that your administrative team is prepared to take on the extra workload that comes with providing preventive care. This includes hiring an administrator to manage appointments and stand-by times and make sure that your office is prepared to handle the extra demand that comes with providing preventive care.

 

The Bottom Line

The bottom line with preventive health care is that it’s not just good for your patient — it’s good for your practice, too. By keeping an eye on your overall health and making sure that you don’t miss any potential issues, you’re also keeping an eye on how your practice is doing overall. That’s key to staying on top of business, staying competitive and staying relevant.