The 9 Power Probes© for better patient assessment and communication

An Introduction to the AdhereRx The 9 Power Probes© of patient assessment and communication

The 9 Power Probes© is one of many ready-to-use clinical skills included in the AdhereRx Boot Camp. Participants apply them in real-world simulations and arrive back at their home pharmacies ready to include them in daily practice. These tools can guide better patient interactions every day.

As pharmacists, the most critical skill we can develop is to build deep, lasting relationships with our patients, especially as we head into the new era of ‘skills over pills’. Overall, it is a pharmacist’s job to uncover and address each patient’s drug therapy problems (DTPs), win her or his trust and then collaboratively co-create care plans to which they are willing and able to adhere. Now ask yourself, how often have you heard these comments around your pharmacy?

“I give people my BEST ADVICE, but they won’t listen.”

“I EDUCATE and GIVE OPTIONS; what else can I do?”

“She RESISTS everything I suggest.”

If these statements sound familiar, it is time to put more effort into aligning your pharmacy team’s daily practice around the goals of your patients…with patience!

Non-adherence to the medications necessary to treat chronic illnesses is the result of goal misalignment or inadequate communication. Regardless of clinical indications, a grandmother will endure pain if the alternative is taking medicine with side effects that prevent her from holding her grandchild.

The 9 Power Probes™ are the solution.

As a tool developed to apply the clinically proven attributes of Motivational Interviewing at the speed of retail, the 9 Power Probes© de-transactionalize patient engagement and help pharmacists to better understand how therapies need to fit into each patient’s life. When approached with humility, the 9 Power Probes© enable pharmacists to gather more personal information from patients, and to authentically collaborate on the co-creation of a care plan that each patient will adhere to because it aligns with their personal goals.

Like learning how to play a guitar without looking at your fingers, it takes some practice, and in the AdhereRx boot camps, clinicians develop quick command with a few simulations with colleagues using real-world patients scenarios. You will determine the proper timing to use, or not use, each probe in a dynamic conversation. And, like all clinical skills, perfecting your use of these 9 Power Probes© will improve over the course of your career with daily practice and teamwork.

In fact, the 9 Power Probes© are all about teamwork. You’ll be amazed, when you use them as part of your pharmacy team’s daily routine, , how they allow pharmacy teams to communicate with both patients and each other much more effectively. And as you win the trust of even those hard to reach patients, you may discover some of your most rewarding moments as a professional when they reveal hidden keys that help you change lives for the better.

Don’t be intimidated, it is part of your DAILY practice!
Using these probes with patients demand genuine patient-centeredness and purposeful communication. Over time, you will choose your probes like a surgeon selects an instrument, with purpose.

1. OPEN PROBES

Open probes encourage the patient to share their feelings or thoughts. Using open probes help to engage and respect the patient, while so supporting them to tell you more about their symptoms, prescriptions or concerns. For example, asking the patient to provide any other moment they remember symptoms appearing.

2. CLOSED PROBES

Closed probes are questions that elicit a yes or no response. Closed probes are excellent at getting straight facts, though using them in rapid succession can make patients feel like they are being interrogated. For example, asking your patient if they take your metformin with meals.

3. SENSITIVE PROBES

Topics like cancer, STDs or addiction require discretion and privacy when being discussed. Commonly, patients will react by avoiding these conversations. It then becomes the pharmacist’s responsibility to normalize the conversation and explain why these questions need to be asked. For example, by describing how their medicine may interact with one another, and ask again if any are not listed on their med profile.

4. ACKNOWLEDGE STATEMENTS

To demonstrate you understand your patient’s needs, it is helpful to include acknowledging statements when listening to their concerns. Acknowledging statements require pharmacists repeat the need, then address the need for a feature or benefit.

For example, emphasizing you understand child-proof containers are important to protect their grandchildren, but their arthritis can make it difficult for them to open. Then continue by identifying that this bottle is childproof but easy to for adults to open.

5. FEATURES

Features are an attribute that creates a patient benefit and highlights specific aspects of products or services. For example, a bottle with a child-proof plastic cap is a feature of the product.

6. BENEFITS

Benefits demonstrate what is in it for the patient. Typically, these beneficial aspects come about as a result of the features of a product. For example, a child-proof plastic cap preventing children from accessing your medicine.

7. CLARIFYING PROBES & STATEMENTS

Clarifying probes and statements are used to requests more information and resolve any confusion. These comments are powerful, as they avoid assuming the patient’s actions or reasoning. For example, if a patient says she gets up many times at night, you ask the reason for her movement without assuming.

8. CONFIRMING STATEMENTS

Confirming statements confidently answers your patient’s questions.

For example, after being asked what is considered a confirming statement, repling that, at a minimum, one slice of toast would qualify as a meal when taking medication.

9. SUMMARIZING BENEFITS

Summarizing benefits completes the communication with a summary of everything that was said during the conversation. For example, reviewing with the patient that X, Y and Z are the reasons why it will be good to take certain pills in a particular order, and as a result, will allow you to accomplish your goals because of A, B and C.

Now that you have been introduced, can you think of any situations The 9 Power Probes© are about teamwork and can be used in a retail pharmacy? Which power probe do you think is the most useful? Do you have any questions about how these tools can be used? For more information, please connect with us to learn how you can improve patient outcomes and increase the profit and valuation of your pharmacy through better medication adherence and care plans.

The 9 Power Probes© copyright AdhereRx Inc. All rights Reserved. May not be reprinted or reproduced without written permission.