In an era of increasing healthcare challenges, we need new ways to provide, understand and enhance patient care. It is vital to understand how physicians can maintain high-quality patient care even in times of crisis, like during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also vital to measure patients’ satisfaction with their own subjective health before and after medical treatment to enhance patient care and wellbeing. New research from Christian Fazekas, Franziska Matzer and their colleagues at the Medical University of Graz, in cooperation with the Austrian Medical Chamber, contributes to this important area. Read More
In one study, the team explored how physician resilience and training level in psychosomatic medicine affected physicians’ perceived quality of care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results were striking. Both physician resilience and level of psychosomatic training were linked with much higher perceived quality of care and job satisfaction, even after controlling for factors such as age and pandemic-related stressors.
Medics with higher resilience scores more frequently reported using conscious emotion regulation strategies and personal coping techniques like hobbies and sports. This suggests that resilience isn’t just an innate trait, but a set of skills that can be developed.
The study’s findings highlight the importance of supporting physician wellbeing and providing comprehensive training that goes beyond purely biological aspects of medicine. As healthcare systems face increasing pressures, investing in physician resilience and patient-centred skills could be key to maintaining high-quality care.
While physician factors are crucial, effectively assessing patients’ overall health is equally important. Another study, also conducted by Fazekas, Matzer and their colleagues, introduced a promising new tool for this purpose: the Psychosomatic Assessment Health Disc.
The Health Disc is a visual aid that allows patients to quickly rate their life satisfaction using six key dimensions of health: physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, sleep, social life, sexuality, and work performance. Patients mark their ratings on a colourful disc, creating a hexagon that provides a view of their subjective health status.
Developed through a rigorous process involving experts and patient feedback, the Health Disc was validated in a study of patients with endocrine disorders. The tool demonstrated good reliability and validity, correlating well with established measures of quality of life.
What sets the Health Disc apart is its simplicity, its visual nature and its focus on current health-related satisfaction. It can be completed in about a minute, making it practical for busy clinical settings or private purposes. The visual representation can help to identify areas of concern that might otherwise remain unnoticed.
Importantly, the Health Disc addresses psychosocial aspects of health that are often neglected in routine care. By prompting discussions about social life and sexuality, for example, it encourages a more holistic approach to patient care.
In the near future, the Health Disc may also be used to measure subjective health gain by applying it before and after medical treatment. As healthcare continues to evolve, innovations such as the Health Disc offer promising pathways to more comprehensive, compassionate patient care.
