4 Reasons Why Physicians Must Increase Patient Engagement

In today’s healthcare environment, patient engagement is necessary for providing efficient and excellent quality care to patients. Promoting active patient participation throughout their wellness journeys enables healthcare providers to significantly improve their health conditions. In addition, it ensures a positive healthcare experience and increases patient satisfaction. Patient engagement is valuable for managing patients’ health by keeping them informed through involved decision-making. During this process, physicians can gain insights into their patients’ health conditions and work together to better meet their needs. This is important for patients with chronic diseases as they experience rapid changes in their health, which can cause their condition to progress. It puts the patients at risk of poor health outcomes and significantly reduces their quality of life. Chronic diseases can increase people’s risk for other conditions, cause a decline in their mental health, and lead to physical limitations that prevent them from working. Engaging with patients allows healthcare providers to become aware of their current health state and helps them communicate with each other. Physicians can effectively treat the patients’ illnesses and provide the appropriate services they need. 

4 Reasons for Physicians to Elevate Patient Engagement in Their Practices

Lack of patient engagement can lead to worse health outcomes, costly care, and poor management of chronic conditions. Engaging patients throughout every step of their care journey can encourage them to follow their care plans and attend their appointments to improve their well-being. Here are some reasons why healthcare providers should prioritize improving patient engagement:

1. Enhancing Patient Engagement Can Promote Self-Efficacy

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), self-efficacy demonstrates an individual’s capability of having control over their motivation, behaviors, and environments. As a result, it influences how people may follow and achieve specific goals. Self-efficacy plays a vital role in improving patients’ health conditions and overall quality of life because it encourages them to achieve better health. Patients burdened by chronic diseases can significantly impact their physical and mental health by elevating their risk for adverse outcomes. Actively engaging patients throughout their treatment further increases patient empowerment in managing their health conditions and allows healthcare professionals to enhance the quality of care. Promoting self-efficacy can help patients achieve their health goals even when faced with challenges. Furthermore, it encourages patients to follow healthy behaviors to improve their health and well-being. Taking a collaborative approach to care with patients helps them feel more in control and committed to their treatment plans, leading to optimal results. Recognizing patients’ self-efficacy levels may assist providers in identifying those who require additional support in managing their health. This allows physicians to prioritize meeting their patients’ diverse needs to improve their quality of life.

2. Fostering Health Literacy by Increasing Patients’ Involvement in Healthcare

Health literacy, the ability to comprehend health information and services, is necessary to keep patients motivated when receiving care and improving their current health status. When patients understand their health conditions and treatments, they are more likely to follow care plans and make informed decisions. Improving patient engagement can help physicians cultivate health literacy by making health information more accessible and understandable. Equipping patients with knowledge about their health conditions helps them protect their health, prevent health issues from occurring, and encourage self-management practices. An obstacle many patients face in achieving and maintaining their health is low health literacy. According to the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS), approximately 9 out of 10 adults in America struggle with health literacy. Low health literacy can be associated with poor health outcomes, worsening the burden on the U.S. health system, and increasing healthcare costs. Enhancing health literacy through patient engagement is also vital for diminishing persistent health disparities in healthcare. Promoting self-management practices in patients allows them to become more aware of their conditions, ask questions to acquire information about their health, and communicate their needs to their providers. Ensuring that all patients have the necessary information and support can help advance health equity, address disparities, and provide them an opportunity to achieve optimal health.

3. Obtaining Optimal Patient Outcomes and Care Goals

Engaging patients can help achieve ideal health outcomes because they are more likely to adhere to treatment plans and preventive measures. Due to patients taking an active role in their care, it can lead to quicker recoveries and better management of their health. Additionally, it promotes behaviors that benefit their long-term health while increasing patient satisfaction. By involving patients in their care decisions, healthcare providers can foster a collaborative environment that encourages patient engagement. An associated benefit of patient engagement is enhancing chronic care management. Allowing physicians to provide preventive care to their patients empowers them to improve their health with ease. Chronic diseases often require long-term management and regular monitoring to ensure patients are managing their conditions effectively. This helps to ensure that patients are following care instructions, reducing their health risks, and preventing emergency events from occurring. Furthermore, engaged patients are more likely to adhere to their medication plans, attend follow-up appointments, and make healthier lifestyle changes. Increasing patients’ involvement in their treatments enables physicians to take proactive approaches to their care and achieve their health goals. With patient engagement being associated with improved health behaviors and clinical outcomes, healthcare providers can provide enhanced quality care. As a result, it can help to alleviate the negative impacts of chronic conditions on patients’ daily lives and activities.

4. Improving Patient Safety, Healthcare Experience, and Quality of Care

Patient engagement plays an essential role in ensuring, maintaining, and improving patient safety. Unsafe care can lead to severe consequences, such as preventable injuries or death, which result from medication and surgical errors, healthcare-associated infections, etc. When patients are actively involved in their healthcare, they are more likely to understand their treatment plans and recognize errors. Patients can discuss their concerns with their healthcare providers because they are better equipped to notice these mistakes. Additionally, it enables physicians to effectively communicate with their patients and contribute to a positive patient experience. Encouraging patients to actively participate in their healthcare journeys helps providers obtain valuable insights into their health and needs for effective care delivery. Physicians can improve the quality of care by engaging with their patients to tailor care plans to their values and preferences, ensuring they achieve desired health outcomes. Patient engagement cultivates benefits by increasing patient satisfaction, improving compliance with treatment plans, and fostering higher trust in providers. Ultimately, engaged patients can help reduce medical errors and enhance the safety of healthcare delivery by ensuring care plans are followed accurately.

Transforming Healthcare Delivery with Patient Engagement

Patient engagement is a crucial aspect of healthcare and improving patients’ health. By adopting patient engagement solutions that promote active participation in their treatments, healthcare providers can significantly enhance patient outcomes. Additionally, it can help maintain patient safety, improve health literacy, and increase patient satisfaction. Physicians aiming to improve patient engagement can take a cost-effective approach to healthcare and strengthen their relationships with patients to establish trust. With benefits, such as avoiding unnecessary hospital visits and managing chronic conditions, providers can address their patients’ needs more efficiently. Furthermore, healthcare professionals prioritizing patient engagement can bridge care gaps and address social determinants of health affecting patients’ involvement in their care. Closing gaps in patient care can help save healthcare costs by minimizing the need for expensive treatments and hospitalizations while enhancing the quality of care. Incorporating patient engagement solutions into practices can help physicians take proactive measures with treatments, easily communicate with patients, and provide high-quality care. Acknowledging the importance of patient engagement in healthcare can empower physicians to provide information and services to their patients. This can help increase health literacy for patients as it allows them to have a deeper understanding of their health conditions and treatments. Overall, increasing patient engagement to promote self-efficacy, improve patient outcomes, and prioritize patient safety can assist physicians in achieving healthcare excellence.

MDLand’s Dedication to Fostering Patient Engagement

As a leading digital health technology company, MDLand strives to support healthcare practices in fostering an environment where patients are informed, involved, and engaged in their care. Patient Engagement 2.0 module on iClinic® EHR is crafted to empower physicians throughout every step of their patient’s journey, streamline workflow processes, and increase patient satisfaction. Discover our innovative digital health solutions here.