Implementation of a Novel Telehealth Patient Advisory Council

Patient engagement in healthcare delivery processes has been increasingly emphasized in recent years, which can be accomplished in part by Patient Advisory Councils (PACs). Although well-established in brick-and-mortar facilities, the use of PACs in pure telehealth settings is limited. Bicycle Healt...

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Main Authors: Rebekah L. Rollston MD, MPH, Winifred Gallogly BS, Alex Lynch-Coffey, Liza Hoffman MSW, LICSW, Brian Clear MD, FASAM
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2023-06-01
Series:Journal of Patient Experience
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/23743735231184692
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author Rebekah L. Rollston MD, MPH
Winifred Gallogly BS
Alex Lynch-Coffey
Liza Hoffman MSW, LICSW
Brian Clear MD, FASAM
author_facet Rebekah L. Rollston MD, MPH
Winifred Gallogly BS
Alex Lynch-Coffey
Liza Hoffman MSW, LICSW
Brian Clear MD, FASAM
author_sort Rebekah L. Rollston MD, MPH
collection DOAJ
description Patient engagement in healthcare delivery processes has been increasingly emphasized in recent years, which can be accomplished in part by Patient Advisory Councils (PACs). Although well-established in brick-and-mortar facilities, the use of PACs in pure telehealth settings is limited. Bicycle Health, a digital health organization that provides biopsychosocial treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) via telehealth, sought to increase patient engagement regarding care delivery and innovation, ultimately launching a telehealth Patient Advisory Council. Herein we discuss implementation challenges and iterative changes to address each challenge. Key learnings include the following: Patients with OUD are often subject to significant stigma, including by healthcare professionals. This is a key factor to consider when recruiting and engaging patients; trust building is key and can help to overcome both perceived and actual stigma. Inclusion of core staff persons who have lived experience with the respective health condition—in this case, OUD—is beneficial. Utilizing a formal framework, such as the Model for Improvement (utilized widely by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement), to guide improvement work is helpful for providing structure to feedback conversations, though this framework should be presented to patients in accessible language.
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spelling doaj.art-1f799c26c7a64c48b84ac57d3db9d7072023-06-28T11:04:05ZengSAGE PublishingJournal of Patient Experience2374-37432023-06-011010.1177/23743735231184692Implementation of a Novel Telehealth Patient Advisory CouncilRebekah L. Rollston MD, MPHWinifred Gallogly BSAlex Lynch-CoffeyLiza Hoffman MSW, LICSWBrian Clear MD, FASAMPatient engagement in healthcare delivery processes has been increasingly emphasized in recent years, which can be accomplished in part by Patient Advisory Councils (PACs). Although well-established in brick-and-mortar facilities, the use of PACs in pure telehealth settings is limited. Bicycle Health, a digital health organization that provides biopsychosocial treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) via telehealth, sought to increase patient engagement regarding care delivery and innovation, ultimately launching a telehealth Patient Advisory Council. Herein we discuss implementation challenges and iterative changes to address each challenge. Key learnings include the following: Patients with OUD are often subject to significant stigma, including by healthcare professionals. This is a key factor to consider when recruiting and engaging patients; trust building is key and can help to overcome both perceived and actual stigma. Inclusion of core staff persons who have lived experience with the respective health condition—in this case, OUD—is beneficial. Utilizing a formal framework, such as the Model for Improvement (utilized widely by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement), to guide improvement work is helpful for providing structure to feedback conversations, though this framework should be presented to patients in accessible language.https://doi.org/10.1177/23743735231184692
spellingShingle Rebekah L. Rollston MD, MPH
Winifred Gallogly BS
Alex Lynch-Coffey
Liza Hoffman MSW, LICSW
Brian Clear MD, FASAM
Implementation of a Novel Telehealth Patient Advisory Council
Journal of Patient Experience
title Implementation of a Novel Telehealth Patient Advisory Council
title_full Implementation of a Novel Telehealth Patient Advisory Council
title_fullStr Implementation of a Novel Telehealth Patient Advisory Council
title_full_unstemmed Implementation of a Novel Telehealth Patient Advisory Council
title_short Implementation of a Novel Telehealth Patient Advisory Council
title_sort implementation of a novel telehealth patient advisory council
url https://doi.org/10.1177/23743735231184692
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