2014 was a big year for consumer engagement. However, the term “consumer engagement” has been bandied about the industry quite fervently for purposes more aligned to financial gains than true patient engagement. As a result, while the industry wants true consumer engagement more than ever, they are tired of hearing the term “consumer engagement”. As a result, new trends towards an industry with true consumer engagement will be shaped by two contrasting market forces:
- A consumer-centric future energized by patient advocacy
- An overburdened delivery system that cannot provide consumer-centric care on legacy systems
True consumer engagement will remain a focus in 2015 as more patients work with their providers to take responsibility for their health, use technology tools to manage chronic conditions, and utilize social networking to communicate with their peers.
- 83% of Americans don’t follow treatment plans given by their doctors exactly as prescribed
- 42% of Americans feel they would be more likely to follow their prescribed treatment plans if they received encouragement and coaching from their doctors between visits
55% of providers say they don’t communicate with patients between visits and 50% of healthcare professionals believe their job begins and ends during regular office visits
