Consider these familiar scenarios when it comes to provider-to-patient engagement.: A doctor tries to send a message to or call a patient on the phone, resulting in multiple, confusing attempts to contact a patient. or a patient wants access to lab results, or an after-visit summary, but can’t locate the report in the portal.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have one place to go with a single notification about a doctor’s appointment or health information? Patients expect such convenience, but struggle to find it in the current portal communication systems.
Consider these five trends that explore the current — and the future — status of patient engagement.
1. Patients expect convenient, immediate and effective healthcare delivery
Patients today often look at healthcare like so many other services they schedule or use on demand – be it depositing a check with a smartphone, ordering dinner for delivery with an app, or contacting their physician for insights on a recent blood test. Information is just a click away in just about every industry but healthcare.
Those clicks for information come via mobile phones: 95 percent of Americans now own some type of cellphone, and 77 percent of Americans own smartphones, according to the 2018 Pew Research Center’s research. By 2019, smartphone users worldwide are expected to reach 4.6 billion, per research from Statista. And some 62 percent of U.S. consumers used their mobile phone to access information on a health condition, according to 2015 Pew Internet Research.
2. Value-based care demands effective interactions between healthcare providers and patients
By definition from CMS, value-based care programs “…move us toward paying providers based on the quality, rather than the quantity of care they give patients.” Quality, access to and lower cost of care represent the Triple Aim of healthcare, now with provider wellness often cited as the fourth Aim. Thus, quality represents the foundation of value when it comes to patient care.
3. Consumers want a trustworthy and consistent team of healthcare providers to care for them
The patient-centered medical home puts patients at the center of care. The team of clinicians treating each patient works together to coordinate care, resulting in higher patient — and clinician —
satisfaction, lower costs and overall improved care. This alignment of caregivers can ease online communication challenges through the portal or another application.
4. Comparison shopping by healthcare consumers will grow in use
As healthcare delivery evolves, so will selective shopping for healthcare services. A relatively new concept for U.S. consumers, comparison shopping will eventually be more a norm than an exception. For example, a July 2018 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found physician referral affects provider selection by patients for, in this case, a lower-limb MRI scan. Thus, easy-access communication platforms between patients and physicians will become even more vital in this value-focused marketplace.
5. Vendors and providers come together to engage patients for quality care
What is the most effective approach to patient engagement solutions? It’s a question that health care providers and the vendors working with them address on a regular basis. In fact, engaging consumers challenges CEOs and healthcare provider leaders at organizations of all sizes. With this in mind, my work at Allscripts has included expanding our platform for patient engagement so that patients are engaged, informed and connected with their providers throughout their complete experience of care.
Jim Hewitt is Executive Vice President of Consumer Business at Allscripts. He leads the company’s consumer strategic and technical vision. He focuses on creating a world-class multi-disciplined organization focused on consumer product lines which delivers both key product requirements and innovation.
Note: Allscripts recently had the first combined release to tightly integrate HealthGrid capabilities into its FollowMyHealth platform. As a result, providers using this offering can reach 100 percent of their patient populations without requiring patients to sign into a portal, but instead, will leverage existing patients’ contact information.