The 3rd Conversation is focused on bringing together disparate groups to connect as humans and explore how that relationship can be a source of power, healing, and fulfillment. In that vein, here are some items that piqued our interest of inspired us this week...
Adjusting to the reality of health care during COVID put many patient experience initiatives on the back burner. As we begin to plan for the recovery period, it is important to seize the opportunity presented by this tumultuous time to reshape patient and staff experiences and bring well-being back to the forefront where it belongs.
Fee-for-service payment structures incentivize tests and procedures, while devaluing relationship-building and the efforts of patients and clinicians to mutually determine how best to measure and obtain health. Kudos to Dr. DeVoe for this inspiring story of how her primary care team went above and beyond to connect with their elderly patient, who expressed a desire for less invasive procedures and more social and emotional quality of life improvements!
Humans may be born with the capacity for empathy, but it is also a skill you can improve on. Learning how to put yourself in another’s position, to understand or feel what they are experiencing, makes it more likely that you will view other people and groups positively. Christine Bechtel, 3rd Conversation co-founder and patient advocate, says “I wanted to share this article because it articulates why the central component of 3rd Conversation, empathy, is so powerful.”