Patient engagement is active collaboration between patients and providers. Patients who are engaged in their healthcare tend to have better health outcomes because they trust their providers and the care provided to them. Ultimately, they have greater satisfaction than those who are not engaged in their healthcare decision-making process. Satisfied patients drive reimbursements because they share their experiences with others. Hence, healthcare leaders and the staff must spend effort to increase patient engagement in the following ways:
1. Give patients online access to medical records According to a study conducted by Accenture, 57% of patients say that they can manage their health properly and get more engaged if their medical records are available online. 41% of patients were willing to switch physicians if they can get online access to their medical records. This is one of the top demands of patients nowadays. 2. Use email to communicate Catalyst Healthcare Research found that 93% of the patients would prefer a doctor who offers email communication. Providers can create an email list for sharing updates, marketing their practice, educating and providing health information to patients and much more. They can remind patients about their appointments via e-mail instead of phone calls. 3. Recommend mHealth applications According to a survey conducted by Research Now, 46% of clinicians believe that mHealth apps improve patient engagement and 86% believe that health apps help them increase their knowledge of their patients’ conditions. 96% of patients said they believe mHealth apps would help them improve their care. 9/10 patients said that if their physician prescribed an app, they'd use it. MHealth apps allow patients to monitor their health and report symptoms to their physicians with ease, allowing them to get involved in their care. 4. Offer Virtual Visits According to a survey, 75% of patients who haven't used telemedicine before, said they were interested in trying it as an alternative to an urgent care visit. With majority of the people having a smartphone nowadays, providers can improve their margins, reduce cost, and connect frequently with patients by offering virtual visits. 5. Make your website mobile-friendly Approximately 64% of adult Americans own a smartphone. People use their phones throughout the day. Providers can communicate and engage their patients by making their website mobile-friendly so that they can easily search information. Moreover, providers can develop their own mobile app through which they can send appointment reminders, educate their patients, provide daily medication reminders, etc. 6. Build Online Presence Studies show that 62% of patients see online reviews to find a new doctor. Physicians can build their online presence via blogs, social media websites, etc. which will attract new patients, help the physicians in building a relationship of trust with their existing patients and increase their reputation. 7. Engage senior patients through technology It is a myth that senior patients don’t use technology to manage their health. 84% of baby boomers use internet to search medications and get information about medical conditions. According to a survey, 57% of seniors wanted to interact with their physician and manage their health online. Hence, providers can use technology to engage their senior patients too. 8. Help patients stay in touch Organizations must provide call service and strong internet connection so that patients can communicate with their loved ones through Skype or other applications. This will help in quick recovery of the patients. 9. Organize support groups In-person support groups for the patients and their loved ones or links of online support groups can be provided to the patients so that stay involved in their care. 10. Reward the patients Giving small gifts, discounts, coupons etc. to those patients who achieve certain health outcomes will motivate them to engage and be more serious about their health. Source:
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