Life stories are narratives that capture a patient's personal history, including their values, beliefs, experiences, and preferences. These stories are used to build stronger relationships between patients and healthcare providers, and to help providers understand their patients' needs and desires better.
By understanding a patient's life story, healthcare providers can personalize their care, making it more relevant and meaningful to the patient.
There are several ways that life stories can improve patient experience:
Establishing trust: When a healthcare provider learns a patient's life story, it shows that they care about the patient as a person, not just as a medical case. This helps establish trust between the patient and provider, which is crucial for effective healthcare.
Personalizing care: Understanding a patient's life story can help healthcare providers personalize their care. For example, if a patient values their independence, a healthcare provider can work with them to create a care plan that allows them to maintain their independence as much as possible.
Improving communication: By understanding a patient's life story, healthcare providers can communicate more effectively with their patients. They can use language and terminology that the patient is familiar with, making it easier for the patient to understand and engage in their care.
Enhancing empathy: Healthcare providers who understand a patient's life story can better empathize with their patients. They can put themselves in their patient's shoes, which can lead to more compassionate and effective care.
Overall, life stories can be a powerful tool for improving patient experience.
By taking a minute to learn their patients' life stories, healthcare providers can build stronger relationships with their patients, personalize their care, and ultimately, provide better care.
How MemoryWell™ Helps:
MemoryWell™ writes brief patient life stories, based on a one-time interview with the patient. We work with a national network of freelance writers or can train your volunteers to conduct the interview. Stories are completed within 24 hours and shared via our HIPAA-compliant platform and in the Electronic Health Record.