Republished with permission from NurseZone, a web portal for nurses that features the latest healthcare news and information. Engaging patients in their own health care and helping them work in tandem with the care team has become one of the key themes in modern medical practice. The goal is to prevent illness, promote wellness and […]
Patients are asked to sign a lot of papers. But there is an especially important document handed to patients about to undergo lung surgery at Baystate Heath Center in Springfield, Mass. — it’s the Caregiver/Patient Pledge. The pledge begins with: We are committed to providing the care steps necessary to ensure the highest quality care […]
This article first appeared on Jim Rattray’s blog earlier this month. A regular contributor to EngagingPatients.org, you’ll always find Jim at the intersection of healthcare and technology. Americans want more reminders about their health — and they think technology may be just what the doctor ordered. A recent survey by the Varolii Corporation showed […]
When first hearing the term patient experience, some might claim it is the latest healthcare management fad and others a marketing ploy created to attract healthcare clients to new services and solutions. While these reactions may be deserved based on other healthcare precedents, they do not represent what is now taking place. Patient experience has […]
Last week I attended a panel on Patient Engagement hosted by Health 2.0 Atlanta. The debate was lively with lots of good conclusions drawn. One conclusion I want to discuss here is this: Patients may not understand the value of being engaged. I think this is a disconnect that needs to be addressed in order […]
Cleveland Clinic wants its patients involved — fully involved. It starts with opening access to services, functions and information that previously had been hidden or hard to get to. Cleveland Clinic’s MyChart personal health record is at the heart of the initiative, which has been ongoing for more than a year. The system sees […]
This contribution first appeared on Jim Rattray’s blog on September 18, 2013 One Holy Grail in health care (yes, there are many) is improved communication between patients and caregivers. Better communication results in improved understanding, elevated compliance and, ultimately, higher satisfaction. It just doesn’t seem to result in getting paid. A new study […]
The most powerful message in patient engagement comes down to a single word: “empowerment.” Last week more than 500 people convened for the “Better Health: Everyone’s Responsibility,” a full-day educational event at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, hosted by the CT Partners for Health. The conference was aimed at empowering consumers to proactively manage […]
From the many articles linking relationship problems to electronic communication and social media, it appears that some people share intimate information electronically more readily than they ever would face to face. I won’t comment on the relationship implications. I will suggest that this propensity to share more electronically may help improve patient communication, especially for […]
Chronic diseases exact a huge toll in terms of human and financial impact. According to the CDC, chronic diseases account for $3 of every $4 spent on healthcare — nearly $7,900 for every American with a chronic disease. What’s more, they cause 7 out of every 10 deaths. As a woman who has been relatively […]