Communicating with Patients: Adapting Our Approach Based on Level of Involvement

I recently wrote several blog posts for my Marketing course highlighting how marketing concepts could be applied to healthcare environments. Here's one of my favorites.

Effective communication is paramount in healthcare, especially in the physician-patient relationship. But how can we ensure our messages resonate with patients, given their varying levels of interest and engagement in what we want to tell them? Borrowing a concept from the marketing world can help us approach this challenge. The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) provides a valuable framework for how we frame our messages to patients when we are aiming for behavior change.

The ELM suggests that individuals process information in different ways depending on their level of involvement, or interest. When involvement is high, people are more likely to engage in "central processing," carefully considering the details and arguments presented. They are receptive to data and details. However when involvement is low, they tend to rely on "peripheral cues," such as endorsements or emotional appeals. Crucially, an individual's level of involvement can vary depending on the specific situation and topic.

As healthcare providers, we can leverage the ELM to tailor our communication to individual patients. Consider the recent approval of omalizumab for treating food allergies in children. For families demonstrating high involvement (e.g., asking about research studies or specific outcome data), a "central route" approach is appropriate. We can discuss the medication's efficacy, clinical trial data, and impact on safety. For families exhibiting lower involvement (e.g., focusing on convenience or time commitment), a "peripheral route" might be more effective. Here, we could emphasize the medication's practical benefits, like the ability to administer the medication at home or reducing costly visits to the ER. Peripheral cues also play a role. While direct endorsements might be less common in physician-patient interactions, the perceived credibility and expertise of the physician acts as a peripheral cue. Patients are more likely to be persuaded by a physician they trust and respect.

Think of crafting a persuasive argument as designing a route to your product (the recommended treatment or health behavior). For some patients, a direct, high-speed route with clear signage (central processing) is ideal. For others, a more scenic route with compelling visuals and landmarks (peripheral processing) might be more effective.

By understanding and applying the principles of the ELM, we can enhance our communication skills and improve patient understanding and adherence. Tailoring our message to the individual patient's level of involvement is key to effective and persuasive communication in healthcare.

The ELM (image source: interaction-design.org)