Interacting with your patients—both in the office and out—is integral to their overall care experience. Active engagement can influence everything from health outcomes to costs.
But where do you start?
Whether you’re implementing patient engagement strategies for the first time or want a refresher, you’ve come to the right place.
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What Is Patient Engagement?
Patient engagement is the process or methods practitioners use to collaborate with people on their care. It can help people have a voice in their healthcare decisions and take proactive measures when necessary.
Active participation before, during and after appointments can make or break a patient’s experience (and yours!).
What Is the Importance of Patient Engagement in Healthcare?
While your job is to treat people, creating a personalized and engaging experience can have several advantages. Here’s what makes patient engagement a worthwhile investment:
Increased patient satisfaction
When patients feel respected and understood, they are more likely to feel happy with the care you’ve provided. A positive experience can also help increase loyalty.
Enhanced treatment adherence
People who understand treatment expectations or after-visit instructions are more likely to stick to them.
Improved patient health and well-being
Active engagement encourages people to be proactive about their health. Often, these individuals act quickly when they have health concerns, improving their well-being. One study found that patient engagement led to higher rates of preventative care and improved lifestyle choices.
Reduced costs
People may not need as many return visits because they understand their treatment or know how to contact you online. Rapport also helps reduce no-shows, which can lower expenses.
Active engagement provides many benefits for medical professionals and patients. The time for improvement is now.
How to Start Increasing Patient Engagement
If you’re ready to enhance engagement, you’ve come to the right place. There are many strategies you can use to encourage a patient’s active participation in their care, such as:
Pre-, Mid- and After-Visit Engagement
Engage your patients early with pre-visit intake forms and reminders (which your team can automate to reduce time spent). They’ll have ample time to complete the paperwork on their device, helping them feel relaxed in the waiting area and be more honest on the forms.
During the appointment, have conversations about their health and preferences. Learn more about their needs, motivations and background. Seek out any barriers to care or learn more about their career and lifestyle.
These actions can help you better understand the person and increase their trust in you, which may improve health outcomes. Provide after-visit summaries and instructions for encouragement.
Patient Engagement Technologies
Connecting with patients goes beyond face-to-face interactions. By implementing engagement technology, you can encourage people to be proactive. Your technology offerings could include:
Telehealth visits
Videoconferencing makes offering personalized care through the Internet easy. Without needing to leave the house, find childcare or miss work, people may feel more inclined to see the doctor.
Communication services
One study found that a majority of Americans want technology to be a part of their healthcare service. Set up a secure messaging platform for text-based chats with your patients. It may help to determine the preferences of the different demographics. Email, text, phone calls and paper mail are other options for accessible and engaging communication.
Patient portals
Patient portals help schedule appointments, send reminders and share test results. They often also have secure messaging.
Continuous monitoring devices
Individuals with chronic health conditions may find monitoring devices beneficial. These devices take measurements and report them. If you or the patient sees a red flag, you can reach out right away.
Technology helps make healthcare more accessible, enhancing engagement in an increasingly digital world.
Patient-Provider Relationships
The patient-provider relationship is the cornerstone of engagement. Often, patients go to the doctor and feel like just another person on the schedule, which may cause them to feel disengaged. That’s where you come in for course correction, using techniques like:
Partnership and shared decision-making
Make your patients feel like partners in their healthcare—because they are! Discuss treatment or medication options, including potential risks and positives, and lifestyle changes. Be encouraging, but ultimately allow the individual to decide.
Patient education
When explaining a condition, disease, treatment or medication, speak plainly. Avoid jargon that may confuse or daunt people. When necessary, include visual aids or demonstrations or break information into smaller chunks.
Personalized care plans
Once you know what matters to your patients, you can create treatment and care plans based on those factors. Speak openly and honestly and find out what they want out of the appointment or treatment. Set goals or design a plan that aligns with their needs and preferences.
Developing a patient-provider relationship is critical for improving the healthcare experience.
If you’re ready to build rapport, implement new engagement technology or learn other best practices, try continuing medical education (CME). With in-person and online courses, you can find courses on these subjects (and more!) to help you improve patient engagement.