The post outlines two initiatives at Minneapolis-based Allina Health, which augment technology solutions with patient engagement components.
The Robina Project utilizes care guides, people without formal medical training who work with patients on education and communication initiatives, facilitate transitions of care and identify barriers to high-quality care. The intent of the care guides is to help patients and providers reach evidence-based care goals.
Initial project results demonstrated patients who were helped by care guides were 31 percent more likely to meet care goals than patients who did not receive care from care guides.
The second initiative is the LifeCourse initiative, which focuses on transforming late-life experience for patients and their families. Again, care guides work with patients to reach care goals by working with patients in the community, visiting them at their residences and recording both medical and nonmedical information into EHRs. Though results are still being compiled, Allina reports so far feedback has been positive.
Allina Health offers three key considerations for engaging patients.
1. Create a single definition of patient engagement that begins with patient experience.
2. Get support for developing new types of roles in healthcare.
3. Blend technology with high-touch engagement.
“Despite advances in health IT, there’s still an inherent need for the personal connection — the relationship. That is the vehicle for healing,” the authors concluded.
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