Patient engagement is defined differently by various clinicians, caregivers, health plans, and other providers. And healthcare organizations can have vastly divergent engagement goals.
But one thing the majority of the healthcare industry can agree upon is that, whatever your strategy, patient engagement has three primary benefits that can improve both patient experience and healthcare business success:
- Enhanced patient satisfaction
- Improved treatment outcomes
- Improved financial and operational efficiency
Engagement hinges on shared decision-making (SDM), which is defined by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) as “a process in which clinicians and patients work together to make decisions and select tests, treatments, and care plans based on clinical evidence that balances risks and expected outcomes with patient preferences and values.”
When there is more than one reasonable treatment option for patients to consider, it is up to providers and health plans to help patients weigh the benefits, risks, and potential impacts (physical, emotional, logistical, and financial) so that patients can make informed, confident decisions. Research has shown the effort is worthwhile:
- SDM can reduce preventable hospital readmissions by connecting patients to the most appropriate treatment the first time, according to a 2017 study
- A 2014 review found that surgery utilization can be reduced up to 20% when patients are actively engaged and involved in decision-making
- SDM can decrease patient anxiety about healthcare costs, notes a New England Journal of Medicine study
- Patients who opt out of expensive treatment options they don’t feel they need may be more likely to experience lasting results from their chosen treatments, says research from the Urban Institute
