Intro
The idea of using digital health technologies to improve patient engagement is quite clear: to help patients feel supported and cared for by a doctor or healthcare facility. And, of course, to get better. As a result, patients do recover faster, which means better health and a better quality of life. This is what patients get.
But healthcare professionals also benefit. By adopting digital health engagement solutions, you can build patient loyalty. This means they will recommend you as the best. In addition, digitizing medical processes leads to fewer repeat visits and hospitalizations, reducing the burden on healthcare facilities and saving time and money.
Pretty promising, isn’t it? Anyway, let’s learn more about how digital patient engagement platforms can benefit your healthcare facility.
But let’s start with the basics first.
What’s digital health technology?
These are healthcare technology solutions that monitor a patient’s health, collect the necessary medical information, transmit it to a physician, monitor the progress of treatment, prevent illness or re-hospitalization, and generally improve the health of each patient.
In particular, digital health tools include:
- Patient engagement platforms
- Wearable devices
- Biometric sensors
- Patient portals
- Electronic health records (EHRs)
- Medical image recognition tools
- Mobile applications and other digital health services.
Digital health technologies are completely changing the way we view the role of the patient in the healthcare system. Instead of being passive recipients, patients are now active users of healthcare services. They’re not just following their doctor’s orders, they’re interacting with him or her, discussing diagnoses or medications, feeling more heard, and most importantly, sharing responsibility for their own health with doctors by receiving timely information about the progress of treatment and other details of the process.
It’s all about patient engagement.
Digital healthcare platforms are one of the key tools needed to raise awareness and engage patients.
Such tools are becoming increasingly common because they are designed to:
- Promote community health literacy;
- Provide patients with easy-to-use tools for direct access to healthcare services and medical information;
- Increase the efficiency of healthcare and medical services;
- Reduce the burden on healthcare providers and reduce costs;
- Ensure and enhance patient engagement.
Let’s focus on the last point.
Strategies for improving patient engagement with digital health technologies
What can you do to increase patient engagement? Here are some of the ways healthcare organizations and professionals can achieve this.
- Integrate telemedicine software
The need for telemedicine platform development services has been acute for many years, and it’s obvious as such systems directly contribute to increasing patient engagement. With a telemedicine system like the one described in this case study, patients can schedule an online appointment with a doctor or consult with a doctor while staying at home. This option is essential as many people aren’t able to visit a hospital for various reasons (they may live far away, have mobility or health issues, are working full-time, etc.).
- Embrace wearable medical devices
According to research, the number of smartwatch users is expected to reach 230 million by 2028. Wearable medical device market is also on the rise:
Wearables are now an integral part of health monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment, so it’s worthwhile to ensure patient engagement through the use of these devices.
- Implement AI-based software solutions
The best thing about using AI in healthcare is that it can communicate with patients as if it were a real person and answer their questions instantly. Understanding and answers are what patients are looking for. That’s why you can integrate chatbots, develop personalized consultations, and choose the easiest terms for communication so that people without medical background can understand.
However, despite a number of compelling benefits, AI in medicine can pose patient engagement challenges, such as health data security. Therefore, each hospital must decide for itself whether to rush into the use of AI, taking into account the possible consequences.
- Provide patients with health-focused education
It’s not enough to tell patients that they need to use a patient portal or digital health platform. You need to explain the benefits of using these tools. Talking to people will show that you care about helping patients get better, and it will also help ensure that patients are using these tools correctly and effectively. In addition, over time you will find that patients will link their health status to their daily habits or routines, which means that people will become more aware of and responsible for their own health.
- Deliver personalized care with software
What improves patient engagement is your attention to their specific needs and concerns. Your platform or app can be used to create personalized treatment plans, track medications, or monitor recovery. You can develop a customized notification scheme for each patient, reminding them about critical medications or inquiring about their well-being in a sensitive way. In addition, as the best digital health technology examples show, the system should have a simplified interface, multilingual support, and the ability to contact you in an extra way (by phone, messenger, etc.). Personalization is even more important, as 59% of patients surveyed expect digital healthcare to be as convenient and personalized as retail.
- Create online support groups or communities
Communities can foster a sense of belonging and provide support for patients with similar health problems. One of the benefits of community support is its positive impact on mental health, as patients no longer feel isolated or alone with their problems among like-minded people. Community access can be provided through dedicated healthcare platforms.
Benefits of digital healthcare technologies in enhancing patient engagement
Let’s take a look at the benefits of increasing patient engagement through digital health solutions:
- Better outcomes. A patient engagement platform provides patients with the information they need to manage their condition without having to contact clinic staff. Ongoing communication with physicians can be provided as needed.
- Patients are more satisfied with the work of a doctor or medical facility. When a patient has access to all the information they need to care for themselves during recovery, as well as answers to their most pressing health questions, without having to visit a clinic, spend time, effort, and additional money, they are more satisfied with the process.
- Valuable patient data at your fingertips. Patient engagement platforms and mobile apps collect vast amounts of patient data, which can further facilitate organizational and financial issues such as health insurance, reimbursement, and readmission requirements.
- They provide personalization, which is a top priority for the modern consumer of healthcare services. Digital technologies help healthcare organizations streamline their processes and provide personalized and affordable healthcare services.
What else? Improving patient engagement through specific digital tools also makes sense because patients will leave feedback on their interactions with the clinic, and that feedback will help improve the facility. It will show you where you are falling short, where you need to add services or doctors, etc. And of course, good reviews boost a clinic’s reputation, right?
Source: https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/about-us/
So, physical presence is no longer mandatory or even necessary. With the rise of patient engagement platforms and mobile devices, access to healthcare has become available to everyone, no matter where they are.
Conclusion
The medical system is undergoing a transformational digitalization. The adoption of healthcare technologies is no longer just a desirable step, but something that affects diagnosis, treatment outcome, payment amount, likelihood of rehospitalization, and the quality of medical services in general.
Practice shows that patient engagement is one of the most effective solutions that can positively influence the course and outcome of treatment. Despite some patient engagement challenges, purpose-built platforms and applications can help ensure and improve patient engagement. Even by simply monitoring a patient’s well-being and providing a quick consultation with a physician, you are already providing patients with optimal care.
You can create a patient portal, develop a mobile application, or offer a telemedicine system. Choose the solution that works best for you with the help of experienced software developers.
Keep an eye for more latest news & updates on Gossips!
