In the dynamic and ever-changing landscape of the healthcare industry, patient engagement continues to emerge as a pivotal element of the value-based care (VBC) model. Value-based care seeks to improve health outcomes by leveraging the Quintuple Aim framework – focusing on the patient experience, population health success, cost reduction, team wellbeing, and health equity. Value-based care models center on patient outcomes and how well healthcare providers can improve the quality of care based on specific measures, such as reducing avoidable hospital readmissions and improving preventative care. Where the traditional fee-for-service care model is driven by physician’s volume of services provided regardless of patient outcomes, the results-driven value-based care model depends on an engaged patient managing their care 95% of the time they are not interacting with a provider.
By leveraging digital technologies such as mobile apps, wearable devices, telehealth offerings, and engagement platforms, healthcare providers can bridge the gap between clinicians and patients to develop a real-time dialogue that emphasizes collaboration, communication, shared decision-making, and a mindset that provides “care with” the patient. Collaborating with patients throughout the healthcare journey can foster positive human experiences and a trusting relationship between all parties.
Engaging patients in their care journey has proven to lead to more positive health outcomes and reduce avoidable readmissions as patients better understand and follow their recovery process. When patients feel they have thoughtful clinician guidance, two-way communication, and the empowerment to control the aspects they can, they are more likely to follow their physician’s advice, adhere to referrals, show up to appointments, undergo necessary tests, and make positive lifestyle changes. By establishing a strong patient-physician relationship, healthcare providers empower patients to take control of their health and to make more informed decisions. Patient engagement systems are a key to successfully involving patients.
Patients Desire Active Engagement and Collaboration Throughout the Care Journey
Healthcare consumers desire a care experience that reflects their personalized needs and meets their unique circumstances. Patients yearn for human connection. It’s why most care encounters still occur in person despite the convenience of telehealth. The fact that patients are on their own in person a significant amount of the time creates an opportunity for providers to creatively use technology to deepen connections. A recent survey by HIMSS Research highlights that 84% of healthcare leadership agree that patients are demanding “more personalized, holistic digital experiences.” Healthcare leaders must thoughtfully leverage digital solutions that are more patient- and consumer-focused to provide comprehensive digital engagement systems to empower patients and support collaboration with care teams.
Purposefully designed patient engagement systems provide intuitive platforms to encourage patient and clinician collaboration each step of the way. This joint effort ensures that clinicians better understand each patient’s healthcare history, while the patient is better informed on realistic recovery goals, next steps, and any ongoing care. Healthcare cannot be approached as a one-size-fits-all-all circumstance. With patient collaboration and input from de-siloed systems such as integrated electronic health records (EHR), longitudinal claims data, and psychosocial data, a healthcare team can further provide accurate, preventative, and personalized care for each unique person. The best patient outcomes result from tailor-made care plans based on the specific patient’s background, life circumstances, and Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). As part of personalized care plans, collecting SDOH data along with health history can identify barriers to address to ensure the challenges do not hinder the patient’s recovery when they leave the healthcare facility.
Leveraging the right tools, such as Findhelp or Unite Us, healthcare teams can ensure patients are set up with ongoing support or collaboration to guarantee the best results, safest environments, and efficient processes regardless of their circumstances.
Patient Engagement Reduces Stress and Drives Better Outcomes for Everyone
Throughout the care process, it’s crucial to ensure patients feel comfortable and have access to the tools necessary to fully engage and remain supported. If a disconnect exists between the patient and caregiver, it typically reduces timely and preventative care due to delayed communications on both sides. Delayed or disconnected interactions lower positive outcomes, lead to further dissatisfaction and increase no-show rates at appointments. By developing a welcoming connection of honesty and openness, patients are more willing to share information regarding their health, staff can provide better care, both parties are more satisfied with the interactions, and healthcare facilities typically experience cost savings.
A unified engagement plan and digital platform with a variety of endpoints can assist patients throughout each stage of their journey to provide services that are welcoming and comforting. These efforts can include supplying patients or loved ones with directions to appointments via a Google Maps-like interface, offering helpful educational materials to manage ongoing health conditions, providing entertainment for those remaining in the facility for longer time periods, and the ability to bring in digital devices from home. Patients, of all ages, tend to interact more with systems that are intuitive and familiar. By guaranteeing ease of use, healthcare decision-makers and design teams ensure maximum engagement and open communication. Supportive environments can also be created with digital signage by providing important facility updates and answering frequently asked questions, such as wait time, staff bios, related services, and relevant patient education and discharge content. Creative digital signage such as large-format video walls with relaxing imagery fosters a peaceful and positive connection as patients and visitors arrive in locations like lobbies.
Interactive Patient Care Systems (IPS) in patient rooms transform the latest smart television infrastructure into a collaboration center to benefit patients and staff by providing patients with custom educational materials, meal ordering, and service request management that are streamlined in the system through back-end integrations with multiple health information technology (HIT) including electronic health records (EHR), engineering, dietary, and facilities. The usage of the IPS typically increases the family’s comfort, positivity, and decision-making ability while creating staff efficiency. Not only are these pivotal transformations key to reducing burnout and supporting staff retention by limiting their involvement in non-clinical tasks, but a patient’s involvement in their care builds confidence and control in an unfamiliar environment.
Further Enhance the Human Experience and VBC in Healthcare
A growing number of healthcare facilities look to emerging technologies and purposefully designed facility spaces to address patient needs and expectations with more efficiency, accuracy, and timeliness, working to create the hospital of the future today. Over the years, evidence has shown that patient engagement solutions are the best path forward to tailor care to the unique needs and preferences of each individual person and ensure strong patient participation. Advanced IPS partners aim to further develop data-driven solutions and open the door to an enhanced human experience with customized education to inform patient decisions, develop the connection between patient and clinician, and guide toward better care outcomes and improved HCAPHS scores. Patient engagement is core to value-based care and the future of healthcare.
About Dave Bennett
Dave Bennett is the Executive Vice President of healthcare at pCare by Uniguest. His visionary approach to patient engagement, digital and mobile technologies, and IT integration ensure continuous innovation of the #1-KLAS ranked pCare platform and a company culture dedicated to delighting customers. Prior to joining pCare, Dave served in a variety of executive roles at ViiMed, GetWellNetwork and StayWell. Dave holds a CISM certificate from ISACA and is an active member of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), and the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).
