Patient safety is dependent on patient engagement

What a time we live in! Back in the day, patients had to go to the hospitals overcoming traffic and all sorts of barriers, and even after that, had to wait to consult with their doctors regarding follow-ups, simple ailments, or even simple communication. Now, the distance and barriers regarding communication have been drastically reduced- all a patient needs to do is go to his/her smartphone or tablet, pick the device up, and enter an app. Healthcare providers can communicate with their patients whenever and wherever the patients require it, the best part being it is outside the premises of their establishment. Thus, technological advancements have enabled the removal of some barriers so that healthcare providers can reach patients through smart devices. Not only communication is allowed, but nowadays, apps like CircleCare also help in motivating patients to participate actively and be engaged towards their health for better patient outcomes.

 

 

With the rise of such new technologies which push patient engagement further than ever thought was possible, hospitals can now focus on the patients post their discharge and generate better results as they are in constant communication, all of which is happening outside the hospitals while maintaining the quality and ensuring convenience for the patients. If the standards can be managed and better engagement can be generated, it will be beneficial in reducing the costs of hospitals as well as the patients themselves.

 

But why are healthcare providers focusing on patient engagement technologies? As mentioned earlier, making the follow-up interactions between patients and physicians digital is one of the main factors, as patients do not need to come physically to the hospitals anymore for communications which could have quickly be done by some other means. Other than providing this facility, many others follow, like encouraging engagement, giving reminders for medicine, recording healthcare related data, making sure patients adhere to the instructions by the doctors, and also communicate at their convenience.

 

 

These are not where it ends, as all these meaningful information is put into the hands of the patients and their families via their tablets/smartphones. Thus, if the patients are not able to interpret or use the app, their caregivers at home can assist them in doing so, ensuring they take medicine on time, are active, record their health data, and so on. To go into further details, after being discharged or post-care, these retention apps ensure that the patients comply with the rules being set by their physicians and abide by the treatment procedures.

 

Another reason for healthcare systems being so invested in engagement apps is that the situation is changing every day as technological advancements push the boundaries even further as well as patient demands and needs are being altered and raised higher due to the possible implications of such improvements. Around 80% of patients today are more inclined to use what they use the most- their phones, with uncluttered UI, easy to use menus, and simple yet effective experience. Healthcare providers need to capitalize on it to ensure active patient engagement for robust health, better data management, and with all this, better patient safety along with positive outcomes.

 

 

So, what are the apps that are helping shape patient engagement? CircleCare is a prime example. It is a patient retention app which doubles as a patient engagement platform. Once hospitals partner with its service, they only need to direct their patients to the app available for both iOS and Android, and they can start using it instantly. As previously mentioned, it has all the features needed to ensure active patient engagement- medicine scheduling, tracking steps, recording glucose level, blood pressure, and even providing a network of people to communicate with, exchanging tips within the group for better health. The app also provides tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and also serves as a means of communication between the patients and their physicians, so that they can ask their queries whenever it is needed. All of this leads to better patient health outcomes and thus lowers the readmission rates of hospitals significantly.

 

Bio: Juan Ben

 

I am an avid reader, love writing and all things related to tech, especially PCs and smartphones. However, nothing beats my love for gaming, although I’m not getting enough time to do that.