It’s been said that patient engagement develops naturally when there is a regular, focused communication between patient and provider and it leads to behaviors that meet or more closely approach treatment guidelines. It is also believed that patients engaged in their own care make fewer demands on the health care system and more importantly, they experience improved health. Patients who are educated about both their condition and their care are also patients who are most likely to get and stay healthy. In fact, many believe that empowering patients to actively process information, decide how that information fits into their lives, and act on those decisions is a key driver to improving care and reducing costs.

1. Patient Engagement in Healthcare Defined – How Does it
Improve Health and Reduce the Cost of Care?

2. Patient Engagement in Healthcare Defined – How
Does it Improve Health and Reduce the Cost of Care?
It’s been said that patient engagement develops naturally when there is a regular, focused
communication between patient and provider and it leads to behaviors that meet or more closely
approach treatment guidelines. It is also believed that patients engaged in their own care make fewer
demands on the health care system and more importantly, they experience improved health. Patients
who are educated about both their condition and their care are also patients who are most likely to get
and stay healthy. In fact, many believe that empowering patients to actively process information, decide
how that information fits into their lives, and act on those decisions is a key driver to improving care
and reducing costs.
Research shows that informed and engaged patients take a more active role in their own care and
furthermore, health care organizations are slowly discovering how patient engagement contributes to
their financial and quality objectives. Patient engagement essentially revolves around the theory that if
patients understand their condition, know the symptoms to watch for, know why they’re taking
medication for example and how to implement the necessary lifestyle changes, the chances of them
getting and staying healthy are significantly improved and when you proactively engage patients in their
care, the quality of that care improves.
Listen in to our latest podcast with Brad Tritle, Director of Business Development for Vitaphone Health
Solutions, chair of the HIMSS Social Media Task Force and contributing editor of the HIMSS book
Engage! Transforming Healthcare through Digital Patient Engagement as we discuss the current state
of patient engagement in healthcare, how it is defined, whether it really does have a significant impact
on improving health and reducing the cost of care, what engagement initiatives are providers using and
what the future of patient engagement may look like.