There is robust data regarding the importance of patient connection and engagement in the hospital and clinic setting. Many of us are taught in medical school and residency the importance of patient communication on improving patient satisfaction scores, quality metrics, and professional fulfillment. However, a less examined aspect is patient and community engagement outside traditional healthcare settings.
Engaging with patients and the community outside the exam room is crucial for several reasons. Physicians can often literally meet patients where they are and address the broader social determinants of health, such as housing, education, and income, which significantly impact patient well-being and illness prevention. Community engagement allows physicians to broadly and collectively educate patients on important health topics, empowering them to make informed decisions about their health.
What Does Patient & Community Engagement Look Like?
Non-traditional community and patient engagement may feel like a vague or amorphous term, and that’s because it can take many different forms. Physicians may participate in more traditional community engagement venues such as community health fairs or organizing screenings, providing educational workshops on nutrition exercise and disease prevention or helping facilitate small group chronic disease management.
Connect patients with local resources such as food banks, housing assistance, and mental health services. This can be done by maintaining a directory of community resources and making referrals during patient visits. Advocate for policies that promote public health, such as smoking cessation programs, clean air initiatives, and access to healthy foods.
Where to Start
Because this work is so open-ended and amorphous, it can be challenging to figure out where or how to start. The easiest and best way is to find a need either within your practice, a need within the community and what interests you and think creatively and collaboratively regarding how to fill or meet that need. Get involved in advocating for policies that promote public health. Volunteer your service as a physician for your local school. The possibilities are endless, and the sky is the limit.
