By: Robbie Harris, WVTF Public Radio
One of the requirements under the Affordable Care Act is that data must be gathered and analyzed to determine what’s working well and what’s not. According to a study by a Virginia Tech Professor, what matters more to patients than anything else is the quality of the connection patients have with their doctors.

Of course, the most important thing is getting better after you see your doctor...

“But we found out that it matters how the medical care is given. It matters, the care that the care provider shows.”

Robin Russell is professor of Business Information Technology at Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of business. Her team surveyed patients about their doctors’ appointments. They report that the most important factor is… well, the ‘care’ in health care.

“For example, what concern did your care provider show you? How well did they explain your diagnosis? Did they go over medications with you? Were you able to ask questions?”

And she says, it’s more than just a feel good thing; that kind of attention and care actually feeds back into positive outcomes for patients. Read more