Dr. Aaron Lenhart: Continuity of Care Leads to Better Healthcare

By Andrew Wilson

The primary care physician (PCP)-patient relationship is a critical one for healthcare. So much depends on having a relationship built on trust, communication, and understanding. That’s the ideal, but not always the rule.

Aaron Lenhart, D.O., a family medicine physician with WVU Family Medicine – Meadow Pointe, often sees patients who have been dissatisfied with their previous PCP. When that is the case, he finds it is important to tell the patient that they need to “hit the reset button” during that initial visit.

“My role as a family medicine physician is to figure out the next best steps for my patients,” Dr. Lenhart said. “My primary goal is to understand the patient as a whole person, not just a chart. I see the first visit as a time for both doctor and patient to become acquainted with each other and begin to build trust. I’m not just trying to diagnose a problem; I’m trying to understand the person sitting in front of me.”

To do that, he says he likes to ask patients about their family and work situations to better understand their personal history and background. 

“I try to relate to them personally before trying to relate to them from a medical perspective,” said Dr. Lenhart, who was born and raised in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. “If a patient leaves feeling heard and respected, we’ve already improved their care—because they’re more likely to come back, be honest, and follow through with recommendations.”

Getting to know the patient better is important for more than just establishing a good rapport. Sometimes there are external factors – work, family obligations, financial stress – that can negatively affect a person’s health, too.

“Life stress can show up physically,” Dr. Lenhart said. “Stress, whether it's from work, family responsibilities, finances, or caregiving, often shows up in physical ways such as trouble sleeping, headaches, high blood pressure, even chronic pain. I like to ask how things are at home or work, and just as important, truly listen to my patients' response. As a family practice physician, I find that sometimes the most important thing affecting a patient’s health isn’t medical at all, but rather what’s happening in their life. The conversation is always collaborative, not intrusive. From there, we can connect the dots and discuss practical steps—whether that’s counseling, boundaries, sleep, or just acknowledging the burden they’re carrying.”

Even if trust and communication are established early, there are certain subjects patients may feel uneasy discussing.

“Whether it’s mental health, sexual health, or something that feels ‘too personal,’ there are many things that people just don’t love bringing up at a doctor’s appointment,” he said. “I try to comfort patients by trying to get them to understand that these tend to be common issues for the majority at some point throughout their lifetime. Letting patients know that ‘a lot of people deal with this,’ immediately reduces shame and allows patients to speak freely. I find that if I’m calm and non-judgmental, patients usually follow that tone.”

Of course, the overall goal is good health – or at least better health than currently experiencing – and diet and exercise play a large part in having and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but Dr. Lenhart points to an additional factor for maintaining good health.

“If I had to pick one factor, it would be sleep,” he said. “Sleep affects almost everything, from your mood, your weight, your immune system, your blood pressure. Most patients underestimate how powerful sleep is. Sleep hygiene, or a set of healthy, consistent habits and environmental adjustments designed to improve sleep quality and quantity, is often a topic that I'll discuss with patients. That doesn’t mean you need a perfect routine overnight. But getting consistent, quality sleep is one of the most impactful, and overlooked, ways to improve overall health.”

One of the advantages of living in a digital age is the amount of health information that is just a few keystrokes away. Unfortunately, health misinformation is widely available, too, and patients may take this misinformation as fact. When a patient arrives in the office with strong beliefs that may not be correct, Dr. Lenhart listens to them and then explains his approach. 

“I never frame it as ‘you're wrong,’" he said. “I let patients know that at WVU Medicine, we practice evidence-based medicine, that is the use of current best evidence from scientific research to make decisions about the care of individual patients. As I regularly tell my patients: knowledge is power. The goal isn’t to correct patients; it’s to educate them without making them feel judged. When patients feel respected, they’re far more open to learning and making changes.”

Building trust and respect is key for more than just an individual visit. Patients who feel respected are more apt to return to their physician, and that can improve health long-term.

“I think it's important that patients understand the importance of continuity of care. I'm never surprised to learn that a patient who has been struggling with their health may have been bouncing between multiple health care providers,” said Dr. Lenhart. “I find that seeing the same physician over time leads to better health outcomes, fewer hospitalizations, and higher patient satisfaction. Seeing a patient over years and helping them manage their health through different life stages, is incredibly satisfying. I get to be part of people’s lives in a meaningful way which is what makes this work so special.”

Some Key Questions a Primary Care Physician Has for an Initial Patient Visit

Beyond getting to know his patient better, family medicine physician Dr. Aaron Lenhart, says he tries to answer a few key questions in that first visit:

• What matters most to this patient right now? What specifically brought them into the office today? 

• What are their health goals? Is it overall longevity/quantity of life? Or more functionality, symptom relief, quality of life?

• What is their health history and their health risks? A thorough medical history, family history, and lifestyle factors should be discussed.

• How do they use healthcare? Are they proactive with their health or have they been avoidant, skeptical, etc. 

Aaron G. Lenhart, D.O., practices at WVU Family Medicine – Meadow Pointe, with John Bianco, D.O., and Jenna Beattie, APRN, CNP, a family nurse practitioner. They see patients at the following location:

WVU Family Medicine - Meadow Pointe
470 Johnson Road, Suite 110
Washington, PA 15301
(724) 579-7000