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Healthcare’s primary goal is to improve the health and well-being of patients. Patient involvement may help accomplish this goal. Patients are encouraged to use their skills, knowledge, and abilities to enhance their health outcomes via a concept known as “patient-centered care.”
Patients who take responsibility for their health are more likely to adhere to their doctor’s instructions, such as taking their prescriptions on time and attending their appointments. The result is an improvement in their standard of living. In contrast, the converse is true for patients who are not actively involved in their health care. Those who are less involved in their treatment are more likely to have unmet medical requirements and delayed care.
Getting people to take responsibility for their health isn’t always easy. Most current patient engagement methods rely on technology, which may not be ideal for everyone. Older patients, who may not be familiar with recent technological developments, may find the intricacy of software operations daunting. Both tech-savvy and non-tech-savvy patients may benefit from the following four engagement tactics:
1. Patient Education
Patients who get care may not always adhere to their prescribed treatment plans. Poor treatment compliance is a significant factor in the failure to achieve therapeutic benefit in nearly half of patients with chronic illness. Poor clinical results, more hospitalizations, and reduced quality of life are linked to poor medication adherence. There are several reasons why keeping patients interested and complying with their health care is crucial.
Compliance tends to increase dramatically when patients receive the proper education. It is in the best interest of patients to know what’s wrong and what they can do about it. Efforts are more likely to be seen as worthwhile by patients when they have confidence in and comprehend physicians’ recommendations.
Study results show that 67% of patients adhered to their treatment plans when they got instructional materials. They were happier with the therapy, had better contact with their doctors, and had better health outcomes and habits.
2. Automated Patient Communication
Even a single patient requires time and effort for genuine patient interaction. Instead of handling every interaction with patients one by one, use technology to automate the process. With automated patient engagement initiatives, healthcare centers can improve the efficacy of post-treatment care.
Improved patient satisfaction and better communication are just two of the many advantages of automation. Automation in healthcare may alleviate some pressure on healthcare workers, reducing burnout and personnel shortages.
Concerns about losing the “human touch” are the most frequent when employing automated interaction tactics. However, automation is the better solution in certain situations. For example, when a pandemic like COVID-19 strikes, the need for automated and online patient interaction alternatives increases exponentially.
3. Engaging in shared decision making
Patients and healthcare professionals may create trust and a long-term connection via shared decision-making. Patients and physicians work together to choose diagnostic techniques, therapies, and care plans that consider the patient’s preferences. Shared decision-making allows patients to make their own treatment decisions, albeit with the help of a doctor.
It improves the patient’s compliance with the treatment regimen. For patients to be a part of the decision-making process, they must have alternatives. There are various therapy options for women who have uterine fibroids, such as medication and uterine artery embolization. The patient and doctor will work together to choose which surgery is best for them.
4. Communicating with patients using visuals and charts
The last technique that physicians and healthcare professionals should use when engaging patients is visual aids. These visual aids, such as diagrams, drawings, photos and even films, may make even the most difficult subjects easier to grasp. Patients and their loved ones can more readily decide on the appropriate course of therapy if these visual aids are used in the decision-making process.
There are various tools in medical software that make it simple to display patients’ visual representations of their test results or health patterns over time or to put in their records to underline the need to collect detailed notes on their health.
Increasing patient involvement may seem like a no-brainer, but a closer look reveals significant obstacles. Providers and patients alike are happier with their care when they are all on the same page when it comes to understanding the risks and advantages of the treatment choices and decisions they are faced with.
Using patient engagement tactics saves time and money, but it also opens up new horizons for productivity. These are instruments that may aid patients before and after surgery and reduce the burden on healthcare systems if utilized effectively.
Patient involvement in controlling their health condition impacts overall well-being. All healthcare providers should use the techniques outlined above to improve patient outcomes. As long as patients are engaged in every step of their treatment, outcomes will be better and their satisfaction.
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