Digital patient engagement platform strategies and tips.
The modern world has become so digital that filling out manual forms has become an unwelcome idea for many people. At a minimum, pen and paper forms and signatures indicate that an organization needs a digital upgrade. Digital patient engagement is one way healthcare providers can meet patient expectations.
What is digital patient engagement?
Digital patient engagement involves using online tools to help healthcare providers and patients communicate better. These tools can include patient portals, mobile apps, and telemedicine, making it easier for patients to access their health information and connect with their healthcare team.
For healthcare providers, these tools can improve communication, make administrative tasks easier to complete, and help manage patient information more effectively. Digital patient engagement tools like electronic health records and electronic patient care reporting (ePCR) can be updated with patient information in real time and help improve the quality of care, leading to happier patients, better health outcomes, and lower costs. For patients, accessing their health information and scheduling appointments online makes managing their health more convenient and straightforward.
What can digital patient engagement tools handle?
Digital patient engagement tools offer a variety of features that make managing health easier and more efficient. These tools help both patients and healthcare providers by offering functions like:
- Appointment reminders to help reduce no-shows
- Medical notifications about test results and prescription refills
- Secure messaging for questions and follow-ups
- Online access to health records, lab results, and treatment plans
- Virtual visits with healthcare providers for convenience
- Personalized health information and educational resources
- Refill requests and medication tracking
Strategies for improving digital patient engagement remotely.
Remote workflows in healthcare are becoming increasingly common. Industries and service providers across the board now provide consumers with unparalleled levels of digital access. Consumers are also healthcare patients and expect the same level of digital engagement and access to services from their healthcare provider. Regulated industries like healthcare must be careful how they handle digital engagement, but modern tools make it easy to meet compliance requirements.
Here are a few tips and ideas to help govern your digital patient engagement strategy.
- Ensure that your digital patient solution facilitates a two-way conversation, not just from the provider to the patient but also critical input from patients.
- Provide access to medical information, schedules, payments, and registration services. Patients sometimes need non-emergency healthcare information outside of business hours. Digital patient engagement should provide non-specific medical advice to help them make healthy choices.
- Completing and signing new patient paperwork and consent forms should be fast and easy. As technology continuously evolves, patients should be able to digitally engage with their healthcare provider from almost anywhere they can connect.
Use digital healthcare tools that are HIPAA compliant.
When choosing digital healthcare tools, ensure they meet HIPAA standards so you can protect patient privacy, secure health data, build patient trust, and help avoid legal penalties. These requirements guarantee patient privacy and data security. Electronic documents, forms, and e-signature tools can help healthcare providers meet their patients’ digital engagement expectations while complying with HIPAA and other regulations.
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