Mike George decided to join the healthcare industry when he realized the potential for technology to solve some of the healthcare world’s most daunting challenges.
As a Marketing Director for CarePassport and seven-year healthcare industry veteran, George holds unique insights about where the industry is headed. He actively participates in educational and networking conferences about patient engagement, with the hopes of learning how to enhance the overall patient experience amidst the digital age. Today we interview George to hear his thoughts on the advancing digital health era.
Why is it important for patients to be involved in the healthcare treatment process?
No one knows patients better than they know themselves. When you give patients the opportunity to understand their own treatment processes, you help them make more informed, personalized decisions about what’s best for them. The medical journey can seem intimidating and confusing for patients. Patient engagement tools CarePassport reduce anxiety for users, from granting them access to educational materials, to letting them securely share medical records with their loved ones. In return, patients have better health outcomes.
What sort of changes have you seen over the years in terms of patient engagement?
Healthcare systems have transformed drastically over the past few years and are continuing to transform as we speak. Just think about how far we have come from film x-rays, print pamphlets, and endless phone calls for all administration efforts. Now there is this library of digital information that can store all your health data. And that’s good, considering that patients are living digitally in every other aspect of their lives— they expect the healthcare world to be the same. We are trained to want easy, quick access to a variety of information with the touch of a finger. Patient engagement helps the healthcare world keep up, and that’s why it’s becoming a priority to healthcare facilities.
How does CarePassport change the user experience?
Well-designed patient portals improve patient care and significantly cut administrative costs. CarePassport gives patients a major advantage because it can be used across different facilities and independent from electronic medical record (EMR). Users for the first time have access to all their health records including lab results, clinical reports, dental, radiology images, vitals, allergies, medication and more, all from one app. It enables patients to collect, manage and share their medical records securely from any healthcare facility, anytime, and from anywhere in the world.
How will adopting patient engagement benefit the healthcare community?
Hospitals today struggle with readmission rates. Engaged and active patients, however, experience better surgical outcomes and optimal recovery, which result in lower risks of readmission. Additionally, 2 out of 3 patients would consider switching to a physician who offers access to medical records. Healthcare facilities need to focus on satisfying patients, which really means keeping them engaged. Right now, there is an opportunity for facilities to improve communication between doctor and patients and differentiate their service to enhance user experience. If facilities do so, the entire healthcare community benefits, from patient to provider.
How can electronic patient engagement solutions help with chronic care management?
Electronic patient engagement ensures that patients are receiving care even after they walk out of the doctor’s office, and in between visits. Since chronic conditions like Diabetes or Heart Disease can be especially scary and confusing, it’s important that patients are given the ability to understand their treatment plans and more. It enables patients to share their studies with any and all providers to make sure they are receiving care from a variety of experts. When patients are fully engaged in their care, they are more likely to maintain treatment plans and track their health— ideally preventing these chronic illnesses from worsening.
Co-written by Kishleen Singh and Chloe Weiss