As health IT expands to encompass patient, provider-facing tools, the healthcare industry has to determine the best practices for making patients better shepherds of their own care to reduce hospital costs, according to a an article penned by Medsphere Systems Corp.'s Director of Industry Relations D'Arcy Gue.
Health IT can empower patients through five specific methods:
1. Identify at-risk patients
Health IT, when combined with provider collaboration and human insight, has the potential to spotlight at-risk patients.
2. Monitor patients' vitals and welfare
Wearable technology allows patients to track their vitals, while telehealth allows providers to interact with patients at any moment. Telehealth also gives patients in remote areas access to providers.
3. Appointment reminders
Patient portals and provider communication are essential to ensuring patients not only show up to appointments, but to have patients take on a more active role in their health.
4. Empower patients to manage their own care
Technology allows patients to learn self-management health methods.
5.Provide education information
Providers can direct patients to helpful resources through health portals.
By employing health IT, hospitals not only increase patient interaction, but they potentially decrease incurred costs.
Ms. Gue concludes, "There can't be a readmission if admission is avoided in the first place. Moving forward, integrated, aware health systems will focus as much on preventing hospital visits as they will be on making sure patients don't come right back."