Improving Patient Engagement for Better Health Outcomes

Healthcare is a partnership between the provider guiding the healthcare journey and the patient taking steps toward better health. Engaged patients have the knowledge, confidence, and skills to take those steps. They understand their healthcare and are more likely to take an active role in it.

Many studies confirm that patient engagement leads to better health outcomes. A recent scoping review found that, when engaged, patients care for themselves better and are more compliant with medications. They have better satisfaction scores, lower readmission rates, and fewer complications.

Engagement Helps Patients

When patients are actively involved in their care, the benefits are far-reaching. A meta-analysis of 48 studies found that engaged patients had better controlled cholesterol, triglycerides, and depression. They also:

• Were less likely to smoke or be obese

• Were more likely to get pap smears, mammograms, and other preventative care

• Had fewer emergency visits and hospitalizations

Additional research found that engaged patients were more likely to survive a heart attack, recover better after a joint replacement, and have lower readmission rates.

There is more good news: Engaged patients are also more likely to follow their treatment plans. Researchers found that treatment plan nonadherence can be as high as 70%, especially when instructions are complex or require lifestyle changes (in fact, a significant part of nonadherence is because of misunderstanding).

Engaged patients not only follow treatment plans, but they also have a better understanding of their condition and “know” their bodies. They know symptoms to be mindful of and call the doctor early when a problem arises, giving their medical team a chance to intervene before the complication gets serious. For many health conditions, this early intervention is the difference between outpatient management and readmission.

Finally, well-engaged patients report higher satisfaction scores and a better overall healthcare experience. They have a better patient/provider relationship, feel respected, and are confident in their choices, resulting in reduced anxiety and improved trust in their provider.

How Hospitals Benefit

The primary hospital benefit of patient engagement is better patient outcomes, but building patient engagement into hospital policies helps care facilities in many ways, and some of these benefits might surprise you.

First, the obvious: patient satisfaction. Healthcare is competitive, and patients can choose a facility — or not. They can tell their friends, family, and online communities about a great experience, which boosts a hospital’s community reputation. They can also share a bad experience, which potentially impacts a hospital’s market share.

Next, financial reimbursement — and penalties — are tied to patient experience and outcomes in both public and private sectors. For example, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) penalizes high readmission rates for certain conditions.

Likewise, a poor patient experience reflected in a hospital's HCAHPS scores can lower hospital payments. Since Medicare instituted the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program, reimbursement is tied to HCAHPS scores, and hospitals are rewarded or penalized based on their performance.

This trend is growing. In 2016, Deloitte found that many private insurers were following the CMS move toward value-based care and tying reimbursement to patient experience and care quality.  Research confirms the business case. The Deloitte report shows that hospitals with excellent HCAHPS had higher profit margins and higher ROA.

The more surprising benefits were outlined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). In its Patient and Family Engagement Guide, AHRQ mentions funding, market share, and hospital survey scores, but also includes some less obvious, but equally important, benefits, like:

• Engaged patients and caregivers becoming allies in maintaining hospital quality and safety measures

• Higher employee retention and improved talent recruitment

• Improved accreditation compliance

Improving Patient Engagement

With an ever-growing focus on patient experience, how can providers improve engagement and build trust?

Communicate well

• Communicate clearly using simple, patient-friendly terms

• Be transparent and realistic

• Let patients know what to expect regarding procedures, pain levels, and recovery times

Show empathy and compassion

• Make eye contact

• Sit down when talking to patients

• Spend time listening to patients

• Ask patients how they are feeling and what matters to them

Make sure patients understand their care

• Check understanding with teach-back — have patients explain back to you what you taught or told them

• Focus on the most important concepts

• Ask patients if they have questions, and answer them

• Provide a written source of information

TIP: Studies show written discharge instructions led to 29% higher recall. Our Patient Engagement Guides are an excellent patient resource, providing written health information, areas for medication and wellness notes, access to our online Patient Resource Library, and a place to keep all of their patient medical information together.

Take care of your staff

Even the most caring healthcare providers can get burned out. Combat burnout and support patient-provider relationships by:

• Promoting work-life balance

• Offering opportunities for professional growth

• Creating a safe, positive culture

• Reminding staff to take care of themselves and telling them how, if needed

Finally, involve patients in their decision-making. Ask patients about their overall experience, then use their feedback in decision-making. A Patient Experience Journal study found that patients who reported not being involved in decision-making had a 34% higher chance of readmission.

Need more ideas? These three health systems invested in patient engagement with remarkable results:

• Geisinger Health System started a program for patients with uncontrolled diabetes. Patients were given diabetes education, nutrition counseling, and 10 free meals each week for the patients and their families. The program’s patients got engaged in their care and got healthier, and the hospital saw costs drop.

• Willis-Knighton Health System trained staff to look through the eyes of the patient, invested in patient education, and created an inpatient concierge program. Their engagement efforts led to an increase in patient engagement and market share.

• After Kaiser Permanente engaged chronically ill patients in their care, the patients had more preventative screenings, smoked less, had better blood pressure control, better medication compliance, lower hospitalization rates, and a lower overall risk of death.

Helping patients understand and participate in their healthcare benefits both patients and providers. Engaged patients have better outcomes, fewer readmissions, and an improved patient experience. Providers with engaged patients have better hospital satisfaction scores, higher reimbursements, and an ally in promoting hospital quality and safety.