Creating a Zone of Openness to Increase Patient-Centered Care

"Participants were asked to bring an Ask 3 questions flyer into their appointment to use if they needed to make a choice about their health care during their appointment. These 3 questions have been shown to help patients make more informed decisions about their healthcare."

"Open Communication includes a combination of interventions. 1) Participants used a Visit Companion Booklet to write out issues they would like to discuss with their physician during their appointment before showing up. They were also asked to write out any next steps decided on during their appointment and to repeat back to their doctor what they wrote before leaving.~2\) Patients watched a short, informational cartoon video to better understand the Visit Companion Booklet.~3\) Participating physicians received a training through the use of a Standardized Patient Instructor as a means of providing convenient, individualized training on communication techniques. Dyads (physicians and their medical assistants) were trained on how to incorporate the Visit Companion Booklet into workflow."