Communicating in health care

SUNSHINE CLUB

The Sunshine Club will host Dr. Hilary C. Siebens, M.D., on Friday, April 21, in Clubhouse 3, Room 2, at 10 a.m.

Dr. Siebens will share experiences when she recognized benefits to using a four-part practical clinical model in her own practice. It helped organize her thoughts and communicated an individual’s key health information among an entire health care team. Because of this model, she found that discussions about diagnosis and possible treatment steps with individuals and their care partners were more complete. Since the idea was first created, 25 years ago Siebens and colleagues have researched several clinical applications and demonstrated the model’s benefits.

This efficient model can also help peoplethink about their well-being and plan their self-care.

Communicating concerns in health care settings includes several approaches. One is using electronic portals if individuals have an electronic medical record. Siebens will review why paper plays an important role as well. Formats include using medical journals, health care folders, and self-made or purchased threeringed binders.

With the principles presented, residents may learn some new ideas that can help as they continue, or start, to take charge of their wellbeing and health, one step at a time.

As a primary care geriatrician and physiatrist (rehabilitation physician), Siebens has practiced medicine in all care settings. She cared for older adults with few active medical conditions, those with multiple enduring conditions, and those requiring palliative and hospice care. This work involved close teamwork with colleagues and enabled her to appreciate multiple issues confronting patients, care partners, families, and health care professionals. Her clinical research focused on exercise in hospitalized older adults and selfcare notebooks. Her health services research has been on stroke, hip fracture rehabilitation, and care management in Parkinson’s. Siebens has been a founding medical director for rehabilitation units and served on expert national guideline panels.

Siebens received her medical degree from Harvard, her internal medicine training at Johns Hopkins, geriatrics at Harvard, and rehabilitation training at Tufts/New England Medical Center. She currently is principal, Siebens Patient Care Communications LLC.

All residents are welcome to join this meeting. The Sunshine Club requires no membership fees, but donations are welcome.

People are asked to arrive promptly, and to use the back door to not disturpt the presentation. For more information, contact Anna Derby at 562-301-5339.