What To Consider When Looking For A New Patient Engagement Platform

As the healthcare landscape continues to shift, so does the need for more patient engagement. With the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) in full effect and an emphasis on value-based care, healthcare providers are looking for ways to engage more patients and improve their satisfaction.

A patient engagement platform helps providers do just that. It’s no secret that patient engagement is essential to the success of any healthcare organization. But with the myriad of patient engagement platforms on the market, how do you identify the right one for you?

If you’re looking for a new patient engagement platform, you’ve come to the right place. This guide will provide an overview of a patient engagement platform, its benefits, and tips on what to look for when choosing one.

What Is A Patient Engagement Platform?

Patient engagement platforms are a type of software that helps patients manage their health and wellness. The platform provides tools to help patients track their health and make informed decisions by giving them access to their health data, scheduling appointments, tracking their progress over time, and communicating with their care team. 

Healthcare providers typically use patient engagement platforms like Relatient to improve patient outcomes and engagement. Their goal is to empower patients and help them become more involved in their own care. Patient engagement platforms are becoming increasingly popular as more and more patients seek to take an active role in their own care. 

Why Use A Patient Engagement Platform?

Patients are the most important people in the healthcare ecosystem. They’re the ones who receive care and treatment, and they’re the ones who ultimately benefit from the care they receive.

It’s essential, then, that patients be engaged in their care. They need to understand their options, make informed decisions, and participate in their care meaningfully.

A patient engagement platform helps patients do all of these things. It can provide them with information about the following:

• Their condition
• Their treatment options
• How to best participate in their care

Many different patient engagement platforms are available; the best ones for a particular patient will depend on their individual needs and preferences. But all patient engagement platforms can improve care by helping patients be more informed, involved, and connected to their care team.

What To Look For In A Patient Engagement Platform

Here are things to consider when choosing a patient engagement platform:

1. Easy To Use

Ease of use is a critical factor when selecting a patient engagement platform. There are a few key factors that contribute to ease of use, including the following:

• Intuitive Design: The platform should be designed to be easy to understand and navigate. Patients should be able to find the resources and tools they need quickly and without difficulty.
• Simplicity: The platform should be free of unnecessary bells and whistles. Patients should not be overwhelmed with too much info or too many features.
• Flexibility: The platform should be flexible enough to meet the varying needs of different patients. It should be able to be customized to some extent to fit the unique needs of each patient.

You must consider the platform’s easy usability because it can significantly impact patient satisfaction and engagement. An easy-to-use platform promotes patient adoption and use, while a platform that’s difficult to use will likely lead to patient frustration and disengagement.

2. Offers A High Level Of Security And Compliance

The platform should be compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and offer the highest level of security to protect patient data. Several risks are associated with patient data, including unauthorized access, disclosure, and theft. A platform that isn’t properly secured could put patient data at risk.

When considering a patient engagement platform, it’s crucial to consider the security features offered. These features should include the following:

• Data Encryption: Data encryption ensures that patient data is protected from unauthorized access.
• User Authentication: User authentication ensures that only authorized platform users can access it.
• Activity Logs: Activity logs record who has accessed the platform and when.

You should also consider the policies and procedures to protect patient data. The platform should have a data security policy that outlines how the platform will protect patient data. The platform should also have procedures in place to handle data breaches.

3. Able To Grow With You

As your practice grows, so should your patient engagement platform. The platform you choose should be able to scale as you grow. 

Scalability is the ability of a system to handle an increased load. In the context of a patient engagement platform, scalability refers to the platform’s ability to support a larger number of users as the organization’s patient population grows. A platform that’s not scalable will eventually become overloaded and unable to support the organization’s needs.

As a healthcare provider, you have to consider a few different factors when assessing a platform’s scalability:

• The Platform’s Architecture: A platform that uses a shared database architecture will be more scalable than one that uses a single database architecture because a shared database architecture can more easily support a larger number of users.
• The Platform’s Codebase: A large codebase will be more challenging to scale than a smaller one because a larger codebase will require more resources to support a larger number of users.
• The Platform’s Hosting Infrastructure: A platform hosted on a scalable infrastructure, such as cloud-based infrastructure, will be more scalable than a platform hosted on a non-scalable infrastructure.

When considering a patient engagement platform, it’s essential to consider its scalability to support a larger number of users as the organization’s patient population grows.

4. Allows For Seamless Workflow Through Integration

Integration is the key to a successful patient engagement platform. By integrating with the electronic medical record (EMR), providers can:

• Automatically populate the platform with patient information and clinical data
• Quickly identify patients who would benefit from more engagement
• Provide a foundation for developing targeted content and interventions

In addition, integration with other health systems, such as laboratories and pharmacies, can provide a complete picture of a patient’s health and help to ensure that all stakeholders are working with the same data.

A patient engagement platform not integrated with the EMR and other health systems is likely less effective and may cause harm.

For example, if a patient’s medication list isn’t updated in the platform, they may be prescribed a contraindicated medication or may not receive critical information about a medication they’re already taking. Incomplete or outdated information can lead to clinical errors, such as incorrect dosing.

Integration is, therefore, essential to the success of a patient engagement platform. By ensuring that the platform is integrated with the EMR and other health systems, providers can avoid many of the problems that can occur in the future when using a platform that isn’t integrated.

5. Provides Real-Time Analytics

The platform should provide real-time analytics to see how your patients engage with the platform and your care. It will allow you to make the necessary changes to improve patient outcomes.

Analytics is the process of deriving insights from data. It helps healthcare organizations to make better decisions by providing a deep understanding of their patients. Healthcare providers can design and deliver personalized experiences that improve patient satisfaction and health outcomes by understanding patient behavior and preferences.

Many different types of analytics can be used to drive patient engagement. Some of the most common include:

• Demographic Analytics: It helps understand the characteristics of their patient population. This information can segment patients and target them with specific engagement strategies.
• Behavioral Analytics: It helps understand how patients interact with their health journey, which can be used to design and deliver tailored engagement strategies that meet the needs of each patient.
• Outcome Analytics: It helps understand the impact of their engagement strategies on patient health outcomes. This information can be used to optimize engagement strategies and improve patient care.

Many different patient engagement platforms offer analytics capabilities. When considering a patient engagement platform, it’s vital to consider the specific analytics capabilities most important to your organization.

6. Offers 24/7 Technical Support

Lastly, consider support when choosing a patient engagement platform because it ensures patients have access to the resources they need to stay engaged with their health. Patient engagement platforms should offer support in the form of:

• Customer Service: Customer service helps patients with questions or problems using the platform.
• Technical Support: Technical support helps patients troubleshoot any technical issues.
• Educational Resources: Educational resources help patients learn about the platform and how to use it to manage their health.

A good platform will have support available to help you and your patients maximize the system and answer any questions your patients may have. Without support, they may struggle to use the platform or not benefit from the features.

Getting Started With Your New Patient Engagement Platform

Before you get started with your new patient engagement platform, you need to keep some things in mind. 

Ensure your staff is on board and trained in using the platform. They’ll interact with patients, so they must be comfortable using the features. Once your staff is trained, you can use the platform to its full potential. Here are a few tips:

• Start by sending out appointment reminders to get patients to use the platform.
• Share important information about your practice, such as office hours and contact information.
• Use the platform to collect feedback from patients to improve your services.
• Track outcomes so you can see how your patients are doing.

By following these tips, you can start on the right foot with your new patient engagement platform.

Final Thoughts

Considerations are essential when looking for a new patient engagement platform because they can help you find the best fit for your needs. Keep these key considerations and tips in mind when choosing and implementing the right platform for your practice. When you do, you’ll see how engaged and happy your patients will be.

Author’s Bio:

Luke Young is a medical student, and he likes sharing his knowledge by writing informative blogs. When he’s not busy studying or writing, he likes to take long walks with his dog, Hunter.