What Is Patient Engagement and Why Does It Matter in Healthcare? {{ currentPage ? currentPage.title : "" }}

Patient engagement is the blockbuster drug of the century.’ This quote from Leonard Kish, a health IT strategy consultant, is often quoted in the healthcare technology conferences across the globe these days.

Well, patient engagement is not a product of the digital revolution. We live in a well-connected world now. Be it the benefits of drinking water in the morning or the process involved in the cardiac surgery, we have access to any healthcare related information on our fingertip. A study says one in 20 million Google searches, which is equal to 4.7 billion, is to seek healthcare information.

On the other side, patient engagement becomes an easier mission for the health care providers with the advancements in technology. Hence the topic has garnered a lot of attention in recent times. It is a rapidly emerging trend in healthcare technology and a key strategic tool to facilitate improved health outcomes.

Patient engagement is expected to have the highest growth in this age of technological boom. Moreover, industry experts anticipate that it will play a key role in the future of the healthcare sector. So what exactly is patient engagement and how does it impact the healthcare system? Let’s discuss.

What is Patient Engagement?

Patient engagement refers to an ideal situation in which patients will be well-informed about all the possible treatment, recuperation, and medication options and all other systems that are relevant to their medical care which will contribute to improved health outcomes.

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) see patient engagement as a situation in which ‘providers and patients work together to improve health.’ Furthermore, it is stated that those who are engaged as decision-makers in their medical care tend to be healthier and have better health outcomes.

Information technology has the capability to play a larger role in establishing this patient engagement. To inform and engage the patients, healthcare institutions are using technologies like wearables, mobile applications, patient portals and smart devices, to name a few.

The Current State of Health IT and the Challenges in Patient Engagement

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