patient engagement, too. Read on.
reap from treating more engaged
patients is optimised office time. Dr
Sands points out that patients who
better understand their conditions
and are active in managing their own
health usually don't return over
and over again for the same low-
intensity problems.
the same low-intensity issues you've
addressed with the patient many times
before. Instead, you can spend your
office time on more complex clinical
issues which means that, on average,
you could be billing at a higher level.
no-shows
include a patient portal or other online
appointment-setting feature, you'll
likely see a scheduling benefit.
for patients at the various touch
points they have with you. She says,
for instance, that patients often
dread the phone call, not wanting to
sit on hold to make, re-schedule or
cancel appointments. Offering online
scheduling is one way to reduce
that friction.
convenience, they'll be more likely
to come in for preventive care. This
tends to improve outcomes, but it also
means you're scheduling a visit that
otherwise might not have happened,
which is a plus for practices that are
paid by the visit.
when patients don't have to spend
valuable time on hold to reschedule
or cancel appointments, they're less
likely to simply not show up. That
means you don't have unexpected
empty slots in your day. If your
practice's income depends on getting
and keeping slots filled, this benefits
your bottom line.
patients see themselves as active
partners in their care. Dr Kernisan,
Dr Hibbard and Dr Sands all echoed
this sentiment engaged patients are
happier patients.
you more easily, feel that you value
them as partners in their own care,
and when their health benefits from
their more active role, they're happier
with your practice. This helps you keep
existing patients coming back for more.
attract new patients. Existing happy
patients may recommend you to
friends or colleagues. Moreover, public
reports on your practice, such as those
provided to Medicare patients through
Physician Compare, could also lead to
an influx of new patients.
so is your personal and professional
fulfillment, especially when nearly
half of all physicians are experiencing
symptoms of burnout. That's another
area where patient engagement can
be a boon. Patients aren't the only
ones whose satisfaction increases
as a result of engagement
engaged and is just sort of a passive
spectator to their own health," he says.
"You go through this exercise where
you have ridiculous conversations with
them. You're telling them things over
and over again, they're not following
your advice... it's just not satisfying."
can change that. As Dr Kernisan
explains, "It's like any kind of working
relationship. You often get better
results when both parties feel like they
have buy-in and have been heard."
less likely to feel like you're spinning
your wheels.
outcomes is a point of professional
pride. Think about it this way the
overarching goal of medicine is, loosely,
to heal. You can't do that effectively
if you're the only one interested in
reaching that goal. Encouraging your
patients to communicate with you,
ask questions, do their own research
and be active participants in their care
makes you more likely to achieve the
basic goals of medicine. And that's
bound to be professionally satisfying.
getting patients `well', a fully engaged
patient shares that responsibility.
Think of it as delegating some of your
workload to the patient. This not only
keeps patients healthier and happier
but can mean increased profitability
for your practice, and higher
satisfaction for you.