Digital health tools and overall improvements in medicine are on the rise. Learning to effectively engage with your patients, as well as monitor their chronic conditions, is part of that solution. Your patient’s portal and effective communication are two of the most important tools to increase overall patient engagement, but are often overlooked. Recent studies support the use of portals and other connected health tools to boost patient engagement. A CDW Healthcare survey found less than 30 percent of patients would give their healthcare providers an “A” for technology use and 89 percent want easier access to their Personal Health Records (PHR).
COMMUNICATION IS CRUCIAL
The patient portal is important not only for the patient, but also the care team. The ability to link diabetes prevention care plans or post-discharge care plans is the overarching theory behind the portal. With advances in engagement technology and mobile convenience, patient portals encourage patients to take greater responsibility for their health and support population health management.
To drive engagement and make it more meaningful, value-based care is imperative. The portal provides data and insurance information on the spot, helping avoid some potential high-acuity episodes that could lower cost settings or avoid the need for care altogether. Reminding your patients of the value the portal offers and its capabilities are also important. This increases interaction between visits and leads to rapid replies. Patient involvement in reconciling their medications could save millions spent on lack of adherence, medical errors or poor outcomes from unintended drug interactions. Doctors are also more likely aware of complications or other concerns that could send a patient to the emergency room.
As we all know, there are many barriers that still need addressing. The functionality offered for some portals may be very basic, especially for smaller practices. But two-way communication is important. Improving care and patient engagement leads to better patient outcomes, overall satisfaction and reduces avoidable hospital admissions.
For more information on how to increase patient engagement at your facility, check out this useful fact sheet.
Source:
http://www.healthcaredive.com/news/how-patient-portals-can-improve-patient-engagement/441444/