Engage patients through casual conversation

Rural healthcare providers faces a host of challenges, but patient engagement is one of the biggest hurdles they must overcome. Steve North, M.D., a physician in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, told MedCity News he engages patients with chronic illness through casual conversations instead of actions they need to take to manage their care. "You have to have high touch first, you have to have a relationship with patients before they are willing to try the next step," he said. Article