Patient Engagement not just a Goal but a Strategy

Working with advanced medical imaging technology, such as low-dose Mammography equipment, and EHR software has helped push Radiologists into the modern age of health care. As stipulated by the Meaningful Use standards established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, physicians need to demonstrate effective patient engagement in order to be successful.

At the annual meeting of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society in Orlando, Fla., members of the Physicians’ IT Symposium presented their feelings on what patient engagement truly means in health care. They encouraged providers to view it not as a goal, but as a collaborative strategy to achieve success.

Giving power to patients
Speaking at the conference was Christine Bechtel, advisor for the National Partnership for Women and Families and president of Bechtel Health Advisory Group. She discussed leaving the notion that engaging patients involves controlling what they do – rather it is about empowering them to collaborate on clinical decisions

“[Patient engagement is] patients, families, their representatives and health professionals working in active partnership at various levels across the healthcare system – direct care, organizational design and governance, and policy making – to improve health and healthcare,” she said during her lecture, quoted by Clinical Innovation and Technology.

Essentially, including patients in the process of care can have numerous benefits for radiologists and other physicians. When practices look to implement a Patient Portal for Web-based access to health information, the feedback from patients can be construed as user testing of the site’s capabilities. Their input can help mold and fix the system, should it need any improvements. Additionally, patients’ experiences with the various privacy aspects of sharing medical information can assist physicians in writing new policies on data security.

Strategies to push engagement
According to Becker Hospital Review, in order to successfully engage patients with the intent of spurring their interest in care, Radiologists working in Digital Imaging can implement a few different strategies. One of the most simple methods is through open conversation. Physicians should emphasize the vital role patients can play in maintaining their own health and improving their quality of life.

Additionally, Radiologists should get their patients more committed to contributing their insight on clinical decisions. They should be given multiple treatment options, with each choice clearly outlined and discussed between themselves and their health care providers. This can result in serious improvements to health outcomes and overall practice performance.

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