What Is the “Health Story” and Why Is It So Important?

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Pharmacists manage a lot of critical tasks: dispensing prescriptions, reconciling medications, and teaching proper drug administration. But for many pharmacists, one of the most rewarding aspects of the job is interaction with patients. Personal connection provides an opportunity to hear more about the recovery experience of an individual who is injured or is not feeling well. And to ask for more information when the situation seems to call for it.

Every person is a complex combination of medical, physical, behavioral, and social traits and conditions. When a person is recovering, they exist in a unique environment, where these traits and other factors come together to help or hinder the path of care and recovery. When information is hidden from view and not disclosed and explored, it can’t be used by providers — including pharmacists and claims professionals — to help make decisions or take action. These actions may involve simply adjusting a medication or treatment, or perhaps altering an entire regimen, to better meet the person’s recovery needs.

“Health story” — that’s the medical history, right?

Most people are familiar with the concept of the medical history: chronic health conditions, current and past medications and supplements, childhood illnesses, past and current infections and injuries, surgical procedures, and family illnesses or conditions. A well-documented medical history supports consistent treatment and continuity of care, especially if the patient is seeing multiple health care providers or using various sources to obtain medications, treatments, or remedies. The medical history helps not only in creating a care plan, but also in adjusting treatments as needed and finding early signs of complications and condition exacerbation. It also helps health care providers identify risk factors for certain diseases and conditions, enabling early intervention and potentially preventing more serious health issues.

But the “health story” is more than just the medical history. It builds on it by including other key factors that contribute to the patient’s overall health:

Physical environment
Emotional and social environment
Lifestyle, hobbies, and habits
Other behaviors or conditions that affect the patient’s well-being

Environment and lifestyle factors, such as working conditions, exercise consistency, stress level, economic pressures, and the ability to adhere to provider and prescriber instructions, to name a few, can have a significant effect on the patient’s overall health. In Health and Behavior: The Interplay of Biological, Behavioral, and Societal Influences¹, the Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Health and Behavior offers a fascinating and insightful examination of the relationship between behavior and health.

There are major initiatives underway to address the need for more coordination and communication in health care. For example, to improve care for older adults, The John A. Hartford Foundation has partnered with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement to prototype new methods for addressing the complex and interrelated needs of aging patients. These models rely heavily on engaging the patient’s caregivers and emphasize the value of communication across care settings. Through this initiative, five major U.S. health systems (Ascension, Trinity Health, Anne Arundel Medical Center, Providence St. Joseph, and Kaiser Permanente) are working with geriatrics experts to find better ways of ensuring reliable application of four essentials of geriatric care. These four essentials, known as the “4Ms,” are defined as knowing and acting on what matters to the older person (honors choice), along with critical geriatric care concepts related to medication, mobility, and mentation.² This is a sophisticated and pathbreaking approach to improve patient care, and supports the concept of honoring the patient’s personal and unique health story.

As trusted care partners, pharmacists can drive a holistic approach

As the health care team member with the most complete drug knowledge, pharmacists have been an integral component of health care delivery for hundreds of years.

Pharmacists are often more accessible than other health care providers and consistently remain a trusted health care resource for patients. A research study performed by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health³ found that 77% of patients view pharmacists as a vital part of their health care team. And according to a Gallup poll⁴ in 2023, pharmacists were ranked as the third most trusted medical professional. We serve as a convenient information resource for quick advice and support, often without needing an appointment.

Pharmacists play a key role by helping patients manage their condition and recover effectively. And by encouraging patients to share crucial details that help construct their health story, we can gain more information about factors that may be affecting the patient’s condition. This added knowledge positions us to make more informed decisions, provide better education and guidance, and enhance the quality and safety of pharmaceutical care.

Beyond the pharmacy, pharmacists are also integral to making the health system work more efficiently for everyone by connecting patients, prescribers, payers, and prescriptions. We work to simplify complex therapy regimens, educate patients and providers on medications, and ensure adherence for at-risk patient populations. Pharmacists and pharmacies create a community where patients can tell their health story, which in turn can help them lead healthier lives.
We’re here to listen, we want to know, and we are empowered to help.

Notes

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What is the “health story” and why is it so important?

“Health story” — that’s the medical history, right?

As trusted care partners, pharmacists can drive a holistic approach