Health Plans, HouseCalls March 3, 2020
The home environment
often helps members open up in ways they may not in a clinician’s office.
Perhaps that’s because the advanced practice clinician and the member don’t
feel rushed. The advanced practice clinician has the time to encourage
one-to-one conversations with members. They take the time to listen to a
member’s health concerns and engage more deeply with the member. This high
level of engagement and listening proved to be life changing as HouseCalls
advanced practice clinician Aline helped a member who was initially resistant
to a HouseCalls visit.
Aline’s story
After canceling multiple
times, a member finally agreed to a visit with Aline. Aline could see that the
member, who spoke English as a second language, was highly apprehensive, so she
sat with the member and talked with her about concerns. The member cried when
she said that Aline wouldn’t believe her—that no one had believed her—but when
she tried to sleep, it felt like someone was choking her.
The member had received
a prescription medication for hallucinations. But the member felt she wasn’t
hallucinating, so she wasn’t taking the medication. As the member shared her
story, Aline saw a visible pulsation in the member’s neck that prompted her to
perform a more detailed examination of the neck. Aline discussed the abnormal findings with the member,
which validated the symptoms of the member. The member now felt she
was finally heard and understood. With the member’s permission, Aline called
the member’s daughter alerting her that the member needed essential follow-up.
She also provided a detailed description of the situation for the daughter to
give to the medical team. This helped bridge the language barrier that made the
member so frustrated and fearful.
That evening, the
daughter called Aline to say that the member was in surgery to have her thyroid
removed. Cases like this reinforce the value of why Aline and her HouseCalls
colleagues make the time to really listen to members and understand everything
the members are trying to communicate. They act compassionately, yet
decisively, to help the member move forward in their health plan or, — in cases
like this — get the additional help they need.
As Optum HouseCalls
employees, this is the kind of positive and caring experience clinicians like
Aline create for every member at every home visit.
Learn more at Optum.com/housecalls
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