There is no "one size fits all" method for medical care. We are aware that patient outcomes are important in evaluating healthcare. But recently, the evaluation standard has undergone a change. To accurately assess the effectiveness of healthcare delivery, it is now equally vital for providers to consider external, non-health outcomes like patient empowerment, engagement, etc.
This indicates that patients are turning to healthcare providers for increased accessibility and information so they can learn about and comprehend the choices made while formulating their care plans. Patient engagement and empowerment are crucial for providing a significantly better healthcare experience because every patient is uniquely unique, as are their needs.
Patient engagement statistics show that supporting patient engagement and empowerment offers many advantages for patients and healthcare staff, including improving medical outcomes and reducing the length of stay for patients. The two terms are significant in the healthcare industry, but are they the same? They are not the same, to put it simply. To learn more about the distinctions between the two, keep reading.
Patient Empowerment
Patient empowerment is a technique that welcomes all patients and encourages them to participate actively in the healthcare provided by their doctors. Patient empowerment aims to support patients' growth in self-awareness and self-care while advancing the notion that patients can participate equally in healthcare decisions. Patient empowerment, in a sense, places the patient at the center of health care so they may get the most out of it.
Photo Credit: Patient Empowerment
A provider-patient relationship needs to be characterized by open communication and mutual trust to achieve a shared objective. In this instance, the aim would be to guarantee improved health results. Because of this, patient empowerment in healthcare is increasingly becoming a necessity. The patient is put at the center of services through patient empowerment.
Ways to empower patients
Many service recipients don't anticipate being approached for their opinion or taking an active role in their care. Instead, they are frequently accustomed to the "conventional" encounter in which a doctor clarifies their diagnosis, suggests a course of action, and then writes a prescription. Therefore, empowering people and allowing them to have a role in their care can greatly aid in any form of treatment or rehabilitation.
All system tiers, encompassing Individuals, Systems, and Services, should experience empowerment.
Offer patients treatment options
In most cases, a surgeon can give a patient a choice between having a restricted operation that would probably require a second procedure down the road or a single final surgery. Having to make a choice will make patients feel supported, in control, and valuable to my care team, even though neither option was very pleasant. Make sure your patients know their options and any potential negative effects to make the best selection possible.
Direct patients to financial resources
Although you might not be able to assist your patients in navigating the healthcare market to get health insurance before they see you, you can discuss their financial choices with them. You can also direct them to websites like GoodRx, which lets users compare the prices of prescription medications across different pharmacies. By assisting patients in balancing their healthcare requirements with their financial means in the way that makes the most sense to them, these resources foster access and patient agency.
Refer patients to educational resources
Patients have the information necessary to have a more active part in their care. For example, directing your patients to reliable sources may be helpful with the internet at their fingertips. In addition, patients who know how to do more research on their health concerns may show up at appointments more prepared to discuss their conditions and ask crucial questions.
Encourage the use of patient portals.
Patients who have access to their electronic health records participate more actively in shared decision-making. Patients can also share their information with other healthcare professionals, which may help cut down on needless follow-up scans and blood tests.
Inform patients about digital tools
Numerous apps are available for smartphone users to track and manage chronic health disorders, including atrial fibrillation and diabetes. By placing vital information in patients' hands, these tools enable them to take an active role in their care. With the use of healthcare applications, patients can set goals and track their advancement, making rewards and penalties more apparent. They will also be in a better position to communicate with the doctor because they will have statistics to support their queries and worries.
Benefits of patient empowerment
Increased patient satisfaction with care, better patient adherence to self-management of the treatment, and better clinical outcomes are just a few of the advantages of patient empowerment.
In healthcare, empowerment is crucial because it helps service users better understand how to use the healthcare system. People who feel empowered can ask for the information they require with confidence, as well as grow in self-awareness and take an equal role in their own care.
When people are empowered, they take a more active role in their care and develop crucial decision-making skills. This means that the person and the caregivers are on the same page, which enhances communication and the carer-patient relationship as a whole.
That said, numerous barriers prevent healthcare providers from offering the caliber of care they desire. These challenges might vary and include staff shortages, appointment delays, and financial constraints. As a result, many service consumers are dissatisfied with the standard of treatment they get. In addition, the amount of time healthcare practitioners can spend with service consumers explaining their health or condition is similarly impacted by these barriers.
Therefore, it is necessary for service users to develop greater independence and involvement in their own care. Implementing patient empowerment and support resources is one method to do this. Patients and service users will have access to all they require thanks to the implementation of these resources, including meal ordering services if they are inpatients, a digital map of the hospital, and access to appointment dates and times.
What is patient engagement?
Encourage patients to make knowledgeable choices regarding their health by engaging them in the process. Patients who are "activated" or "engaged" exhibit good behavior, such as taking charge of their own health and care. This contributes to cheaper expenses and improved health outcomes. However, reaching out and offering advice and solutions is not sufficient on the part of medical professionals. Patients are not engaged if they don't speak up and participate in controlling their health.
Additionally, it is insufficient for people to inform themselves and ask their physicians questions. Patient engagement won't increase if practitioners don't promote healthy behaviors, offer information, and encourage patient involvement. Both parties must be committed to and communicate frequently for patient participation to flourish.
How to engage patient
Patient engagement is now a need for your organization's expansion rather than a choice. Therefore, it's important to comprehend the five major components when you want to implement patient engagement inside your company.
- Establish the goal of patient engagement for your organization.
- Establish and advance an environment of engagement
- Utilize the appropriate tools and services
- Chart progress, enable patients to participate in their care,
- be open to change and adaptation
Benefits of Patient Engagement Strategy
Improved Health Outcomes
By involving individuals in their health, patient engagement techniques increase results. For instance, engaged patients are more likely to take their prescriptions as directed and regularly manage their conditions independently, reducing problems, unnecessary doctor visits, and emergency hospital admissions.
A patient is more likely to recover more quickly from treatment when they are actively involved in their care than when they are not. As a result, their chance of developing consequences from unmanaged symptoms is more likely to be lower.
Engaged patients are more likely to practice preventative behaviors, including STI/STD tests, yearly physicals, vaccines, mammograms, and healthy eating. In addition, they are more likely to follow a healthy diet, exercise frequently, and abstain from dangerous habits like smoking, abusing drugs, and binge drinking.
An engaged patient is more likely to detect a condition or diagnosis early, frequently preventing the need for costly, intensive intervention or a dire prognosis that would have affected the patient and their family.
Strategies to engage patients better comprehend their ailment and treatment plan, increasing the likelihood that a patient will respond to treatment. In addition, they engage patients beyond the office visit by giving patients more chances to interact with providers and possibilities for self-monitoring.
Reduced Cost of Care
Healthcare organizations are under pressure to produce value while also containing costs, particularly when they take on increased financial risk in the name of population health management. Effective patient engagement strategies, including telehealth and remote patient monitoring, enhance patient outcomes and, as a result, lower readmission rates, emergency department visits, and total health system usage—all of which save costs.
Engaged patients need less space, staff time, and hospital resources, which frees up resources for the hospital and the provider. This thus lowers their overall healthcare costs.
Conclusion
Patient empowerment involves educating a patient on their rights during the course of the treatment plan as opposed to patient engagement, which involves guiding a patient through the treatment plan. One of the easiest methods to improve your practice is to increase patient participation and empower them. Your patients will be more likely to have favorable health outcomes and save money by being healthier once they actively participate in direct patient care.
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