The Patient: The Most Important Member Of The Healthcare Team

Do you feel patients are the most important part of the medical (healthcare) team?

In a recent post on Health in 30, a??When Doctors and Nurses Work Together,a?? I wrote about the team-based approach for caring and treating patients, and it addressed the relationship between nurses, doctors, patients and the importance of a multidisciplinary, team-based approach to patient care.

The healthcare team is comprised of a diverse group of specialized professionals, and the most important part of the medical team is the patient.

Subsequent to publishing this post, I received an email from an author and patient advocate stating that patients are not the most important member of the medical team. I value and respect this comment, however I politely and passionately disagree. As a registered nurse and consumer health advocate, I emphatically say that patients are the most important part of the medical team.

As healthcare professionals engage their patients with empathy, we can make them feel valued and respected, and by listening and communicating effectively with our patients we can develop a treatment plan specifically around their needs.??Patients are the center and the most valuable part of the team.??We need to involve them in their care and understand that they are the integral part of the healthcare team.??We need to encourage them to be a proponent of their own healthcare.??We need to let them know that it is okay to ask questions and to take charge of their health.

Patients may have some self-doubt about questioning healthcare professionals.??They may feel uneasy and perhaps they may have difficulty expressing themselves, but we can offer reassurance and continue to encourage them to be proactive.

My colleagues speak out

I asked a few of my colleagues to weigh in on this topic. They are:

• Elizabeth Cohen, CNN senior medical correspondent and author of “The Empowered Patient”


• Kevin Pho, MD, primary care physician and founder of KevinMD.com


• Donna Cryer, JD, patient advocate, known as a??DC Patienta?? and CEO of Cryer Health


• Carl R. Sullivan, MD, professor and vice-chair of the Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry at West Virginia School of Medicine, Medical Director of Substance Abuse Programs at the West Virginia University School of Medicine in Morgantown, WV

Elizabeth Cohen, CNN senior medical correspondent and author of “The Empowered Patient”:

a??Patients know their bodies and their illnesses, and know when somethinga??s gone wrong. Empowered patients can communicate changes and observations that can make a real difference in their medical care. To have their voices heard patients have to, first of all, speak up! This might sound obvious, but many times patients are intimidated, or sometimes bewildered, by the medical world around them. Also, it can be hard to speak up if the doctor or nurse if perceived to be rushed and ready to move on to the next patient. In a??The Empowered Patient,a?? I urge patients to realize there are times they absolutely have to advocate for themselves or their loved ones. Their lives, or the life of someone they love, may depend on it.a??

Kevin Pho, MD, primary care physician and founder of KevinMD.com:

a??Ita??s important for doctors and other medical providers to listen to the most important member of the healthcare team, the patient.??After all, there is no bigger stakeholder.??Involving the patient in the decision making process is essential, to both better the patient outcome and improve patient experience.a??

Donna Cryer, JD, CEO of CryerHealth and patient advocate, DC Patient:

a??Patients are the sine qua non of healthcare. Not without which there is no purpose of spending all this time, money, and effort.?? Patients are the most affected by the success or failure of the medical team.??Patients hold the ultimate responsibility of selecting the right team members, determining the primary objective based on their lifestyle and values, adhering to the treatment or recovery plan, and persisting, enduring until the team has reached the end of their work.a??

Carl R. Sullivan, MD, director of addictions programs at the West Virginia University School of Medicine in Morgantown, WV:

Patient care is at the heart of everything we do, says Dr. Sullivan. He refers to this quote from Norman Cousins-1989 that speaks volumes:

a??People go to doctors out of fear and hope –??fear that something may be wrong but hope that it can be set right. If these emotional needs dona??t figure in the physiciana??s approach, he may be treating half the patient. The question is not now — any more than it has ever been — whether physicians should attach less importance to their scientific training than to their relationships with patients, but rather whether enough importance is being attached to everything involved in effective patient care.a???? – Norman Cousins

Putting patients needs first and allowing them to be the focal point and at the center of the team will foster a better patient relationship and better outcomes.??By being empathetic, listening and communicating and understanding that patients are the most important part of the team. Healthcare professionals can create a treatment plan that correlates with patients’ needs.??Every patient is the most important member of the healthcare team.

Your turn

We would love to hear your insightful thoughts.??Do you feel that you are the most important part of the medical (healthcare) team???What are your experiences???Do you consider yourself an empowered patient? Do you take charge of your health???Have there been times when you were afraid to speak up???Are you involved in the decision-making process with your healthcare professionals? Please share your experiences so we can all learn to be better at what we do.

As always, thank you for your time.

                        p