The biggest barrier in healthcare is communication. How can you make it easy to communicate with you?
I had a job as a case manager. I had to call patients at risk of a hospitalization to try to problem solve. Maybe 10% answered the phone. This made it difficult to help, when no one would talk to me.
Why didn’t they answer the phone?
SPAM A lot of them were getting 5-10 spam calls an hour. It’s easier to let it ring than do deal with nonsense.
Unknown number These days people prefer text or a voicemail if they don’t know the caller.
Anxiety Some people have a lot going on in their life and it’s easier to let some things go.
Here are some solutions.
Sign up for the Do Not Call list. It applies to cell phones and land lines. There are harsh penalties for companies to contact people on this list. Report their behavior if you are already on the list.
Add to contacts. Make sure to add your doctor’s phone number to your address book. Their call should no longer read as spam or unknown after you do this. For your convenience, in the contact, include the provider’s name, specialty, phone number and address.
Enroll in the patient portal. You can log in to see your health record. You can often opt for notifications by email or text, instead of a call. Use the messaging function in the portal to ask questions or work with the office.
Following these steps should reduce your anxiety by getting fewer phone calls, less guessing who is trying to reach you, and allowing you to read your record at your own pace.
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