My colleague, Terie McClintock, recently posted a blog about the relationship between the patient experience and the level of patient engagement on our Oracle blog. A correlation between the two concepts is often assumed, but does one actually influence the other? Terie did some research into the effect that patients being engaged in their care had on the outcome of their experience.
After completing a little research I found that 62% of patients who were given access to their provider notes took their medication as prescribed and “felt more in control of their care” at one very large provider organization. Does “feeling more in control of my care” equate to a positive patient experience? I have written before about this topic! I am happy when I can see the data but this is healthcare, so we need data to support this conclusion.
Engaging patients through information sharing does help improve patient experience and may also reduce costs. According to a study about hip and knee replacements, those providers who shared data such as the incidence of those that surgery did not help, the incidence of those who had the surgery and had worse pain, information about alternatives such as physical therapy, and more, there was a 38% fewer hip replacements and 26% less knee surgeries in the same population. These examples truly reinforce that Healthcare organizations must utilize consumer-centric technology solutions to deliver quality care and content.
Terie found that when information was shared with patients, there were fewer surgeries conducted. But does that mean that while they were engaged they had a better experience? Patients may have declined care due to the information they were provided, but these statistics don’t show impact on quality of life or happiness level. Have you seen a correlation between engagement levels and experience? Do you see a correlation?
To read Terie’s full post, click here.
