5 Surefire Strategies to Improve Patient Engagement

A significant aspect of a patient’s overall health hinges on the extent to which they are involved in the management of their own well-being. Although it’s important that healthcare providers expend sufficient effort in appointments, consultations, and surgical procedures, eventually, a considerable proportion of a patient’s long-term health outcomes is determined by their personal commitment and participation in their care, often within the confines of their own home.

With the rapid rate of digitization across the medical field, healthcare givers need to adopt more advanced ways of ensuring that their patients stay consistently engaged. According to Deloitte, “the pursuit of a seamless, meaningful patient experience is a top priority for all participants in the health care delivery ecosystem, including life sciences companies, health care providers, health care payers, and others.”

The modern patient, as studies have shown, wants to be more involved in all aspects of their healthcare, and expects high levels of integration into their entire treatment cycle. This survey, conducted in 2022, found that 61% of patients wanted to be more engaged in their treatment and wanted their healthcare organisations to prioritise patient-centred care to deliver better consumer experiences. In the same study, 25% of respondents said that their doctors don’t understand them, 38% said their doctors don’t listen to their concerns and another 35% don’t get enough face time with their doctors during appointments.

These statistics point to the disconnect between the level of care that patients expect and the kind they receive. By improving patient engagement strategies, healthcare providers can deliver superior services and achieve enduring results, while unlocking numerous benefits for their practice.

What Exactly is Patient Engagement?

To better illustrate patient engagement, let’s consider a patient named Sarah. Sarah suffers from severe migraines with symptoms like debilitating headache pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. Because she doesn’t have enough information about her condition, Sarah doesn’t know how to properly manage her illness and feels as though her episodes are getting worse, even with her prescribed medication. But when her healthcare provider decides to implement a patient engagement strategy, Sarah’s experience with managing her migraines improves dramatically. 

She was educated about her condition, including triggers, medication options, potential side effects and encouraged to take a more active role in her treatment. Her healthcare provider emphasised the importance of medication adherence and appointment attendance, providing reminders and discussing potential consequences of missed appointments. Over time, she noticed a significant reduction in the frequency and severity of her migraines, leading to improved quality of life.

Sarah’s story exemplifies patient engagement and the impact it has on health outcomes. When patients are involved in decision-making, educated on tools for self-management, and their healthcare providers foster collaborative efforts between them and their physicians, there is a noted increase in patient satisfaction, reduced treatment costs, low recurrence rates, reduced wastage and most importantly, there is a remarkable improvement in the patients’ long-term health and well-being.

But the advantages of patient engagement extend beyond patients’ health. Healthcare providers can also reap numerous benefits from actively involving patients in their care, including;

• Enhanced patient loyalty: Patients are more likely to continue seeking care from providers who involve them in decision-making, listen to their concerns, and provide personalised care.
• Improved patient acquisition: Engaged patients are more likely to recommend their healthcare provider to others, improving patient acquisition. 
• Enhanced reputation: Providers who prioritise patient engagement are seen as patient-centric and committed to delivering high-quality care.
• Emphasis on preventative care: By actively involving patients in their care, healthcare providers can prioritise preventive measures such as screenings, vaccinations, and lifestyle modifications, leading to improved health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs in the long run.
• Higher job fulfilment for physicians: Providers who feel they are making a meaningful difference in their patients’ lives and helping them achieve their health goals are likely to experience greater job satisfaction.

Strategies for Patient Engagement

Here are 5 effective strategies you can use to improve patient engagement:

1. Keep patients informed on the latest health information. It falls on healthcare administrators to provide patients with up-to-date information to help them make enlightened decisions about their health. Consider multiple channels to keep in regular contact with your patients like email, social media, and resources like patient portals, virtual consultations, and patient apps.
2. Motivate patients to adopt healthy habits. Through incentives, reward programs and positive reinforcement, you can encourage your patients to pick up and stick to health habits that set them on a path towards better health.
3. Increase access to quality healthcare. By investing in telemedicine, you can provide patients with real-time access to medical professionals and improve continuity of care. You can also provide clear information about insurance policies and simplify procedures where possible to ensure your vulnerable patients are attended to when they need it most. Additionally, integrating automated tools into your workflow will reduce the burden of administrative tasks on your medical staff and allow them ample time with your patients.
4. Track and Measure Patient Engagement Metrics. Tracking patient engagement metrics is a great way to measure the effectiveness of your initiatives and ensure they are producing desired outcomes. First, you should identify specific KPIs, such as the number of patients returning for follow-up visits, patient ratings of providers, or the number of satisfied patients.These parameters will allow you to measure the success of patient engagement efforts. Tracking patient satisfaction through surveys and analytical tools can also help you identify gaps in patient care.

Using Technology to Implement your Patient Engagement Strategy

There are several alternatives that are the disposal of healthcare administrators to streamline their patient engagement. Online patient management systems, like the one provided by Meddbase, offers a centralised solution to meet all your patient engagement needs.

Our platform includes:

Online Scheduling

By using an online portal for scheduling appointments, healthcare providers make it easier for patients to book appointments at their convenience without the need for phone calls or paperwork.

Instant Messaging

Sending emails or text messages reminding patients about upcoming appointments can help ensure that they have time to plan and make it in on time. This reduces the number of missed appointments and no-shows.

Our management platform also assists in patient education efforts. Using highly accessible patient data, you can send intuitive, engaging materials and resources that are personalised to a patient’s condition. 

Telehealth

Our telehealth service has enabled more convenient access to care in rural and underserved areas. Our clients can now connect with patients in areas that experience a shortage or a lack of specialists.  

At Meddbase, we provide a unified practice management platform that gathers all patient data and communication in one place, to ensure care plan compliance. Providers that use our platforms report high connectivity with their patients that helps keep them on track towards recovery.