Nazlı Sönmez
Assistant Professor of Management Science
ESMT Berlin
Co-authors
Kamalini Ramdas, London Business School
Ryan W. Buell, Harvard Business School
Kavitha Srinivasan, Aravind Eye Hospital
Rengaraj Venkatesh, Aravind Eye Hospital
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Addressing patients with chronic diseases stands as the leading contributor to overwhelming congestion within healthcare systems, impacting both developing and developed countries, whilst being the primary catalyst for the relentless surge in healthcare expenses.
The most economically disadvantaged populations, however, exhibit an elevated risk of tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and obesity and thus bear a disproportionate burden of chronic diseases over extended periods.
With data from a randomised controlled trial of 1000 patients at the Aravind Eye Hospital in India, this study aims to examine the impact on levels of patient engagement of share medical appoints. Patients with similar chronic conditions meet with a doctor simultaneously with each receiving personalised care.
This research seeks to unveil the distinctive impact of shared-medical appointments on engagement levels, not only within the confines of the appointment itself, but also in the aftermath – drawing critical comparisons with conventional one-on-one care models.
The study conducted a randomised controlled trial with 1,000 patients who were undergoing glaucoma treatment over a three-year period at a large eye hospital. Using verbatim and behavioral transcripts from more than 20,000 minutes of video recorded during our trial, this research examined how shared medical appointments (SMAs), in which patients are served in batches, impact engagement.
Patients who experienced SMAs asked 33.33% more questions per minute, made 8.63% more non-question comments per minute, and exhibited higher levels of non-verbal engagement across a wide array of measures relative to patients who attended one-on-one appointments.
The Aravind Eye Hospital trial was recognised by BBC World Service Health Check. Please click here to listen to the broadcast.
‘Evidence from the First Shared Medical Appointments (SMAs) Randomised Controlled Trial in India’ has been highly commended by the Financial Times in the category ‘Best academic research with societal impact: publications and outreach that have influenced policy or practice.’ Read the article here.
Unlocking the potential of shared medical appointments offers an effective paradigm for treatment of patients with chronic conditions.
By leveraging the shared nature of these conditions, shared medical appointments offer a unique way in which patients can gain insight from each other’s experiences and realisations.
The time-savings provided by shared medical appointments will also enhance capacity in healthcare systems. A growing body of research suggests that shared medical appointments have the potential to produce superior medical outcomes across a variety of chronic conditions.
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Nazlı is a former PhD Student in Management Science and Operations at London Business School.
Prior to starting her PhD at LBS, Nazlı got her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Industrial Engineering at Bilkent University, where she received the Academic Excellence in Master of Science Studies award.
Nazlı’s research goal is to use data and models to better understand operational innovation in healthcare delivery and help solve real problems in this area. Her current research focuses on healthcare delivery interventions for creating better patient outcomes, and access to healthcare through collaborations with the Aravind Eye Hospital, in India and the Cooper University Health Care, in Camden, New Jersey.
Author profile
Shared Service Delivery Can Increase Client Engagement: A Study of Shared Medical Appointments
Evidence from the First Shared Medical Appointments (SMAs) Randomised Controlled Trial in India: SMAs Increase the Satisfaction, Knowledge, and Medication Compliance of Patients with Glaucoma
