HJAR Nov/Dec 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  NOV / DEC 2021 55 Anthony Fletcher, MD Interventional Cardiologist CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute PATIENTS suffering from heart disease still need regular checkups with their cardiolo- gist tomonitor their condition. That personal relationship with their cardiologist remains vital so patients can ask the questions they need to ask and we, as healthcare provid- ers, have the opportunity to recognize when something seems out of the ordinary. And, when their condition rapidly deteriorates, their next stop is still either the emergency department or straight to surgery. The exceptional, compassionate care we provide our patients remains the founda- tion of our work and calling, but if we are to continue providing that care to the level our patients need and deserve, we need to think beyond simply adjusting to the moment and start planning for the future. I think we can use this moment to refocus both ourselves and our patients on healthcare basics as we prepare for whatever the future may hold, together. Our Patients’ Approach to Healthcare Has Changed Regardless of the specific reason, a number of our patients simply do not want to come back to the clinics and hospitals that have served them so vigilantly throughout their life. They trust us to keep them safe, but they would still prefer to avoid that visit. This is a dangerous situation for a great many reasons, especially because it encourages them to ig- nore or minimize symptoms of heart disease and other conditions. Additionally, our patients are less healthy than they were a couple years ago. Social dis- tancing, reduced activity and less healthy eat- ing have resulted in noticeable weight gain accurate reporting in real time? This space will continue to evolve. Both patients and we as healthcare providers need to be ready to evolve with it. Looking to the Future of Heart Care Technology can take us a long way, but I sincerely feel the greatest hope for the future comes by taking the opportunity this mo- ment provides to better educate our patients on the basics of heart care. We need to train them to utilize telehealth, but we also need to take every opportunity to teach them how to track and understand their numbers. Can they take their own blood pressure at home, and do they truly knowwhat those numbers mean? Do they understand cholesterol and the numbers we tell them, or are they wait- ing for us to tell them whether the number is good or bad? This is our moment to help them refocus on heart care basics while simultaneously preparing for whatever comes next. Let’s help our patients understand their numbers and realize the risks associated with that pan- demic weight gain and not just why they need to stay active and exercise but how they can do it in a manner appropriate for their age and condition. We need to help them prac- tice different ways to stay in touch with their cardiologists as well so they don’t miss a beat when, for whatever reason, they can’t get into the office next. And more than anything, we need to give them the strength and encour- agement to never give up. n Anthony M. Fletcher, MD, FACC, is an interventional cardiologist with the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute and has served the Central Arkansas community for more than 30 years at his clinics in Little Rock atWest 12th Street and in McGehee,Arkansas. for many patients. In a state with an already high prevalence of obesity, diabetes and heart disease, this only adds to the risk in terms of blood pressure, blood sugar, physical condi- tioning and the exacerbation of heart disease. Models of Care Have Changed and Need to Keep Evolving The global response to the pandemic changed many things overnight. The ways we main- tain relationships with and provide care for our patients has changed as well, but that process has been slower and continues to evolve. Advancements and delivery platforms for telehealth, for example, grew quickly so that doctors can maintain care for patients who either cannot safely or would simply prefer not to leave their homes in order to meet with a doctor. Telehealth existed before but was under- utilized and particularly so inArkansas. Fol- lowing an initial spike in patients utilizing telehealth to connect with their cardiologist, we have seen those numbers dip and begin to stabilize. That change isn’t so much based on the platforms themselves but the experience of both our patients and we as healthcare providers in utilizing them to their best. Whether the pandemic passes or we sim- ply have to learn to live in a world with CO- VID-19, telehealth will continue to be part of our healthcare practice regardless of your specialty. That will require us all to stay on top of the latest technologies. We may have to talk a patient through the process of tak- ing and reporting their blood pressure right now, but what happens when we can au- tomatically sync with their smartwatch or other at-home health monitoring device for