Hear+Now: An AI-Powered Audio Digest – Improving Outcomes by Improving Relationships and Trust

Key Takeaways:

• Only 40 percent of In America survey respondents report being satisfied with the doctor or healthcare team treating their endometriosis.
• When a trusting partnership is established, patients report better outcomes, even helping to reduce the anxiety that often accompanies this chronic illness.
• Community insights offer a powerful path forward for patients and providers alike.

Living with endometriosis is a challenging and often frustrating journey. For those affected by this complex disease, finding validation and support from medical professionals is crucial. Our latest AI audio digest presents a data-driven conversation designed for healthcare providers, exploring the complex reality of endometriosis. Drawing directly from Health Union's In America survey of over 700 endometriosis patients, this digest discusses the importance of the patient-provider relationship as a partnership.

This audio digest was generated with the assistance of an AI tool and reviewed by a member of our Editorial Team and Health Union Medical Review Board. This information is provided for general knowledge and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.

Transcript:

Speaker 1: Today, we're doing something really important, uh, specifically for healthcare providers.

Speaker 2: Yeah, we're focusing on patient-provider trust.

Speaker 1: And specifically within endometriosis care, which is just an incredibly challenging space. I mean, for so many of these patients, diagnosis takes years.

Speaker 2: Exactly. So that trust is often frayed or even broken before they even get to the right specialist.

Speaker 1: Which is why we're digging into this proprietary In America survey data. We have direct patient quotes, and we're really looking at the communication gap.

Speaker 2: And the numbers are, well, they're pretty blunt. Only 40 percent of the people we surveyed are satisfied or strongly satisfied with their care team.

Speaker 1: Only 40 percent, and at the same time, patients are ready to do the work. A full quarter, 25 percent, are actively looking for content right now on how to communicate better with their healthcare providers.

Speaker 2: They're trying to bridge that gap themselves. And when you connect that, that dissatisfaction to quality of life scores, the stakes just become so clear. Right now, only 2% describe their overall quality of life as excellent. So improving the dialogue isn't a soft skill; it's the critical intervention.

Speaker 1: Okay, so let's unpack that. Where does building that trust even begin? For so many, it seems to start with simple validation. We heard from one patient who said their diagnosis was “the best news I have ever heard, because,” and this is the key part, “it confirmed I was not crazy.”

Speaker 2: Yes.

Speaker 1: And you can just feel the emotional weight in that statement. I mean, after years of being doubted...when a patient finally finds a specialist who just believes them, it's everything. Another patient said they “nearly got teary because it was finally someone listening to my symptoms without questioning them or patronizing me.”

Speaker 2: That validation is not just a nice-to-have, is it? It's a requirement. It's about being treated, and I'm quoting again, “like a person with valid ideas and feelings and not like an annoyance.”

Speaker 1: And when that respect is there, the whole power dynamic starts to change.

Speaker 2: How so?

Speaker 1: Well, it shifts from, you know, a top-down hierarchy to a real partnership, and that's a huge idea for healthcare providers to get their heads around.

Speaker 2: Because the patients are starting to see it as a two-way street.

Speaker 1: They absolutely are. They feel like they have hiring power.

Speaker 2: We even saw one person suggest that “the first consultation should be treated like a job interview for the doctor.”

Speaker 1: That's a powerful frame. Now, of course, we have to acknowledge the reality on the provider side-

Speaker 2: The 15-minute slots, the patient load.

Speaker 1: Right. All of that pressure. But even with those constraints, the patient's confidence in their own voice is what matters. You see it in statements like “I matter and my health matters. So I will continue to stand up for myself.”

Speaker 2: So let's connect the dots. All this validation, this partnership, what does it actually mean for clinical outcomes beyond just feeling better about the appointment?

Speaker 1: It means everything. It has the potential to make the difference between a patient sticking with a treatment plan or just abandoning it.

Speaker 2: So true.

Speaker 1: A trusting relationship may lead to better results. One patient said, “My specialist did improve my quality of life. The disease may not be cured, but some of the most upsetting symptoms have gone away thanks to the line of treatment I followed.”

Speaker 2: And there's a psychological piece too, right?

Speaker 1: A huge one. The doctor becomes a secure base, it reduces that constant low-level anxiety of having a chronic illness.

Speaker 2: We saw that in the data. One person praised their doctor mostly because “they are there in case I need to worry out loud about anything.”

Speaker 1: Just having that outlet, that alone reduces the mental load, which is invaluable.

Speaker 2: So the final takeaway here for every healthcare provider listening is what?

Speaker 1: I think it's this: acknowledging the patient's journey, treating them as an expert partner. This isn't just about empathy. You are proactively lowering their anxiety, which may improve the chances they'll stick with your plan. It's the foundation for actually managing their symptoms long-term.

Speaker 2: It really does feel like choosing a reliable compass for a journey. You need someone skilled, yes, but also someone who truly believes the journey is real and knows where you're trying to go. So, a final thought for you to take away: How many of your patients currently see you as that compass?