WIMMERA Health Care Group patients will have more say in the treatment they receive through a new program.
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The group has teamed up with Deakin University to implement the Your Thoughts Matter program throughout its organisation. It will educate staff members to ask open questions, and make sure patients and clients have more say in their own treatment.
Deakin University will educate 15 Wimmera Health Care Group staff members, who will then train both clinical and non-clinical staff.
Wimmera Health Care Group is one of two health services in the state to trial Your Thoughts Matter.
The group's medical services director Alan Wolff said community feedback suggested there were concerns regarding communication between clinicians and patients.
"The feedback suggested we were providing a high level of 'state of the art' medical treatment, but we weren't routinely sitting down with the patients and asking if we had addressed all of their concerns," he said.
"There were also other general communication concerns such as there wasn't enough time given to explaining conditions and procedures.
"Patient feedback included 'the doctors often seemed rushed' and 'I didn't understand what they were telling me'. Another common concern was around people entering the room and checking patient charts without introducing themselves or explaining what they were doing."
He said the program included simple ways for staff to improve communication with patients.
"The first step for any communication with a patient or client is to introduce yourself. Then, rather than stand, sit down by the bed so you are at eye level with the patient, ask open questions and find out what they are really concerned about," he said.
"It may be that a relative died from a similar condition, it might be the cost of the treatment, or they might have a pet at home that needs looking after."
Professor Wolf said several Wimmera Health Care Group clinicians had already started their training.
The group's chief executive Catherine Morley said the program was one year in the making.
"This is probably one of the first projects of its kind in the world where everyone in a health organisation is being trained in how they can be more effective in communicating with patients and clients, and supporting them to be more in control of their health outcomes," she said.
"When you're coming into the health service and maybe feeling nervous, we want to be really helpful to solve the problems that are the most important to them. We've all got different things that are important to us and that's what we want to help solve."
She said patients deserved a choice in the care they received.
"We're trying to help our community members have the right information so they can make an informed decision about what's best for them. It's about empowering both staff and community members," she said.
Staff members will start using the new decision making training with cancer and diabetes patients.
The program will run for another year.
Deakin University Academic General Practice professor and retired GP Jonathon Silverman spoke about the open decision making process at the group's annual general meeting earlier this month.
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