An optimal patient engagement strategy enables a process of care that allows the patient to be active, get involved and stay engaged.
A patient-centric approach means developing a culture of involvement that responds to patients’ capacity, skills, knowledge, and ability to manage their own health. This concept is currently at the center of healthcare organizations’ top priorities and can be traced back to the Affordable Care Act.
The Affordable Care Act links performance to reimbursement. Providers are paid partly based on how patients rate them. A patient-focused environment increases satisfaction, which leads to a higher level of success and increased reimbursement.
The Patient First
Patient involvement must first be defined before it can be improved upon. Although the definition of patient engagement varies, there are a few key concepts behind personalizing healthcare.
Participation
This means getting the patient to say “yes” and take a more active role in their healthcare. Participation also extends to friends and family. They need to be aware and engaged to assist the patient. Participation should also be continuous and sustained over time for a personalized approach that is effective.
Management
This is about getting the patient to act on their healthcare choices, despite difficulty or hardship. Management should be continuous and can be optimized through tools like the patient-centered app CarePassport. Offering easy appointment setting, check-in, and access to all of their medical data, tools like this make management and patient engagement much easier.
Self-Efficacy
It’s about getting patients to grow from their healthcare experience and fostering skills designed to better manage their health. A patient’s sustained participation coupled with the right tools will ultimately lead to a level of self-efficacy in their care.
Well-Being
A satisfactory condition of existence is the ultimate goal of patient engagement. Participation, sustained management, and self-efficacy should all lead to a better outcome for the patient. The reward far exceeds the effort and personalizing healthcare is the way to get there.
Engaging Through Technology
Patients are expecting to be met in a digital arena. The best way to personalize healthcare is to put it in the palm of someone’s hand.
- 80% of Americans who have access to their electronic health records use it; and 2/3 of those who don’t say they want it.
- 69% of U.S. adults track a health indicator with a digital tool (like wearables).
- 1 in 3 adults have gone online to figure out a medical condition.
The most organized means of modern communication is in the form of a smartphone. Engaging patients through technology involves swiftly and efficiently meeting their needs. This creates a better level of care, a higher turnover rate, and more successful outcomes.
Using a patient engagement app like CarePassport means creating convenience for patients. People can make more informed decisions when they have direct access to their records and medical data. You can use a mobile device to engage patients through an app with things like:
- Appointment setting and easy check-in.
- On-demand access to comprehensive health data.
- Resources for educational information.
- Sync with wearables for easy tracking.
- Facilitate communication with other providers.
A patient-centric approach means making the patient feel like they have control. The best way to do that is with a smart app that helps them better manage their own care. Patient engagement technology can have a variety of advantages, like:
- Improves responsiveness
- Strengthens patient-physician relationships
- Show and Tell diagnostics
- Remote monitoring of patient health and progress
- Easy feedback
The majority of adults now use technology to engage in their healthcare, so it only makes sense for providers to get on board. Not only can an app like CarePassport save you time and money, it creates an environment where the patient is consistently motivated to work towards optimal health. And that’s the best place for them to be.