The healthcare environment today is being disrupted. There are updates about new initiatives in the industry, which offer better healthcare for patients. One of the common themes among some of the changes in healthcare is the focus on improving health and increasing patient engagement. Healthcare providers are looking for the best ways to create the most favorable environment for their patients and their continued healthcare. They look for exciting ways to inform and educate, and they want to do it all while engaging patients and giving them the chance to trust their doctor.
When healthcare providers talk to their patients about their plan of care, they can have a more significant impact by incorporating technology. Utilizing applications and instant technology that show the benefits of patient engagement can improve outcomes. For example, with the use of AC Health, patients can remember the instructions given to them by their physician. AC Health is a patient engagement platform that healthcare providers can use to assign personalized instructions for patients to take home via the mobile app, so there is no need for them to forget how to take care of themselves upon discharge.
Apps like this are revolutionizing the healthcare industry, with a focus on how patients can trust their healthcare providers over time. Patient education has to go beyond what happens in the doctor’s office, and healthcare providers are finally realizing this.
Education & Patient Engagement
The techniques that are used in active learning include self-assessment, discussion, defining goals, and group learning. More than this, the techniques for patient learning have been proven effective. The healthcare industry is buzzing with opinions about the initiatives under way, and one of the main perspectives that need to be taken into consideration is how the benefits help both the patient and the healthcare provider. With this in mind, it’s essential to know what the benefits are, and these are the five most significant benefits of patient engagement.
1. Improvements In Patient Knowledge & Understanding
Learning is essential, and when it comes to healthcare, there are two types of patients. The kind that buries their head in the sand and refuses to learn about their condition, and the type that is hungry for information. The more opportunities a healthcare provider gives their patients to learn and educate themselves on their condition, the better the relationship between patient and provider. Patients that make an effort to engage in their own health and healthcare choices will understand more about their condition and the impact it can have in their life. With the right healthcare provider who encourages patient engagement, patients can have a better and more complete picture of their health. They’ll accept their treatment plans, create achievable goals, and be able to manage their health better. All because of the right technology for engagement.
2. Patients Take Better Responsibility For Their Health
Patients often leave the responsibility of their healthcare in the hands of their physician. With continued patient engagement, patients can take responsibility for their own healthcare, and do more with the options in front of them. It comes down to the patient’s choice with regard to their care, but with a better support system outside of the doctor’s office, they can step up and take more responsibility, accepting the care that they need. Providers and patients working together can allow for trust to be built on another level. Patients love anecdotal evidence from friends that they know who have gone through the same things that they have. With the right engagement, healthcare providers can encourage this and provide support alongside it.
3. Healthcare Providers Can Increase Revenue
With the right patient engagement, patients are happier. Excellent and reliable healthcare comes with a hefty price tag these days, which makes patients far more skeptical about healthcare providers and their reliability. Ensuring patient satisfaction is the primary concern for healthcare providers that want to keep their patients on their list. It makes sense for providers to invest in apps and other tools for improved patient engagement. When there is a good relationship between patient and provider, the patients are happier, which leads to better health outcomes and patient loyalty. This, in turn, leads to increased revenue and fewer complications – win-win!
4. Increased Collaboration
With a better provider-patient relationship, there will be better outcomes without a doubt. When providers work with patients to create a team environment, patients are better equipped to solve their problems. Engaging patients with their care and within the decision-making process enables the provider to make good decisions for the good of their patients, too. Patients that feel involved will also feel more empowered leading to improved compliance. To effectively collaborate, healthcare providers and patients must both be willing to work together. So, when patients forget their recovery instructions, they are failing to hold up their part of the collaboration. Apps like AC Health work to the advantage of the patient and the provider to create a team by uniting the common goal and providing a means to deliver instructions and encourage collaborative recovery.
5. Improved Outcomes
The ultimate goal of patient engagement is to improve outcomes. Better outcomes will be achieved when patients are educated and take a vested interest in their own health. One of the most significant benefits of patient engagement is the fact that when patients are engaged correctly and consistently, their health outcomes are improved. A healthier patient equals a more successful healthcare provider who has a better relationship with patients and a better understanding of patient care. As long as patients are remaining as active as possible during their care plan, they can benefit from better patient-to-provider technology as well as better relationships with their physician. When these improved outcomes occur, the figures will prove that patient outcomes are improved, and it’s all down to focusing on patient engagement.
Patient engagement benefits everyone involved in many ways. Understanding how to engage patients is the key to efficient and effective care delivery. For more information on the best tools to improve patient engagement, reach out to us here to have a patient engagement expert contact you.
