Next in our lineup of “What the market says you need in your patient portal” series is social collaboration. This topic brings us to the core of a term that we hear a lot in the industry: patient engagement. What is that, really? Any form of engagement requires communication. Right now communication between provider and patient 
is getting better, but I’d still say that the relationship is in its “healing” phase. The best way to speed that healing is through creating mechanisms that support healthy communication between the healthcare provider and the patient.
Traditional methods of communication focused on the brick and mortar. There has been noticeable resistance to the idea of email, and far fewer providers offer social capabilities. So why will the market push for it? Because patients are accustomed to using social collaboration and they know it is far more convenient to use that tool over, say, picking up a phone or driving to the office. Providers will find that it is also much more cost effective than standing firm on the old way of doing things.
Patients use social to gather information. The healthy byproduct of this dynamic is a greater emphasis on managing wellness. Every social communication does not require direct communication between patient and physician. Instead, social relies on content to navigate a user towards answers and provides readily available mechanisms to find answers to questions. These “conversations” have the power to personalize experiences on an individual level, as well as deliver rapidly consumable healthcare information that can be personalized to the individual and their health needs. A social collaboration strategy is a success when you are able to engage and interact with the patient in a way that drives them towards the overriding goal of wellness. Everything that you do, or want to accomplish, on the patient portal should support that experience. This not only guides your content and communication objectives, but it can also result in lasting interactions that elevate consumer experience.
To make social collaboration effective, it is important to present content in a fashion and format that makes the most sense to the user. Let’s be honest, social collaboration can be a bit nerve wracking in a HIPAA regulated environment. As such, it is crucial that every social collaboration initiative include a formal governance program. This program will ensure that patient communications stay relevant to the overall goal of wellness. However, with the right strategy, you can embrace the power of social to influence the conversation and amplify the health of your population.
