Cueing Patients to Make Positive Health Changes

Providers often hold unique positions of authority and influence in patients' lives. Because of this, the words and phrasing utilized by health care professionals during their interaction with patients matter.¹

The provider's response and language regarding treatment may unknowingly feed the patient positive or negative thoughts and beliefs toward their condition. Messages of dependence, fear of future health outcomes, or a lack of functional improvement to be expected diminish patient self-efficacy and active personal responsibility for their health.¹

Therefore, it is essential to implement words and phrases in the report of findings that are cues to action. These cues to action empower the patient to move toward a positive health outcome.^1-3

• Cues to action involve positive phrasing of words that motivate and promote autonomy.^1,3 Lasting behavior changes are achieved when patients are encouraged to take action in their care plan through prescribed autonomous behavior changes such as home exercises or ergonomic changes in their work environment.³
• Cues to action reward and acknowledge the positive changes made by the patient during follow-up visits. Encouraging phrases such as "Good job" or "Keep up the good work" motivate the patient to continue their current care plan. When providers acknowledge the patient's efforts and positive changes, it promotes patient autonomy. It improves the patient's self-efficacy, empowering them to embrace their role in their health and well-being.³
• Cues to action focus on the perceived benefits of care. Patients are more likely to have positive results when they are cued to believe they can make a change and see improvement. The patient's belief that they can achieve a better health status makes them more likely to have better outcomes.^1-3
• Cues to action help patients understand their health risks and the benefits of changing poor behaviors. They provide the patient with skills and coping mechanisms to maintain and manage their condition, furthering their understanding of risk and allowing them to maintain a sustainable long-term health outcome.³
• Cues to action portray confidence in the patient. When the provider can cue attainable actions that improve health outcomes, such as daily walking or stretches, they promote self-efficacy and follow through with the prescribed care plan's recommendations.

The role of the provider is not simply to address and correct the problem for the patient, but rather to encourage and promote behaviors that will make lasting changes and improve health outcomes. When providers empower patients this way, long-term behavior and health changes can occur for the patient.^1,3

The unique position of authority that the provider has with the patient should not be overlooked or underestimated. It has a substantial impact on the outcomes of patient care. Providers must be aware of the importance of their words, phrasing, and attainable prescribed actions. Providers who can stimulate cues to action and motivate a particular behavior change assist in removing patient dependence, generating patient autonomy, and encouraging patient self-efficacy.

References

1. Gliedt JA, Schneider MJ, Evans MW, et al. The biopsychosocial model and chiropractic:  commentary with recommendations for the chiropractic profession. Chiro & Man Ther, 2017;25(1).
2. Cohen SP, Vase L, Hooten WM. Chronic pain: an update on burden, best practices, and new advances. Lancet, 2021;397(10289):2082-2097.
3. Hayden J. Introduction to Health Behavior Theory. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2023.