Enhance Patient Engagement With a Medical Practice Management Solution

Patients who are proactively involved in their health care tend to lead healthier lives. Patient engagement in healthcare is crucial to helping a patient successfully manage a condition, receive routine screenings on schedule, and stick with medications and a treatment plan. Doctors encouraging patient engagement will also see overall patient retention rates and satisfaction score rise. 

Communication is vital, and how technology has changed the healthcare landscape has affected how patients and providers communicate. Patient engagement is rising — here’s how you can do it correctly.

What is Patient Engagement?

Simply put, patient engagement is an approach to healthcare in which patients and their doctors collaborate to make informed decisions on their health. It encourages patients to be involved in their healthcare and take an active (rather than reactive) approach to managing health conditions. It educates patients and engages them in their health journey so they can do what’s best for them. 

Why is Patient Engagement Important?

Taking this approach to patient care will lead to better health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Patients who are engaged in their care and encouraged to ask questions and take an active approach are more likely to stick to treatment plans, attend follow-up appointments, adapt to a healthier lifestyle, and bring questions and feedback to their appointments. When patients feel like they are part of the solution and helping to determine a course of action, they will feel empowered to do what’s best for their health and play a significant role in health improvement.

Better Patient Engagement, Better Health Outcomes 

An engaged patient feels like an active member of their healthcare team. Rather than being told what to do, they’re respected and viewed as key to managing or resolving their conditions. 

Patients who successfully engage with their healthcare team tend to use fewer resources once a condition is diagnosed and managed, reducing healthcare costs. It improves patient satisfaction rates and leads to patient retention and a positive reputation for the healthcare organization.

How Practice Mate by Office Ally Improves Patient Engagement

Practice Mate offers various features for improving patient engagement. It gives patients the tools to take ownership of their health, access the information they need, and provide information as necessary for two-way communication with their provider for an authentic healthcare team experience. Make medical practice management easy for everyone with the following digital patient engagement tools. 

Digital Patient Portals with Patient Ally 

Patient Ally is a no-cost patient portal that integrates with Practice Mate and EHR 24/7. Patients can view test results and clinical notes on this secure platform. As an avenue for patients to help take control of their health, the technology is easy to use. To further improve patient engagement, patients can find after-care instructions, prescription details, and more in the portal for a simplified experience. Patient education can often help patients feel more equipped to do their part in the treatment plan, leading to healthier patients and a better understanding of next steps.

Simple Patient Intake Process with Intake Pro 

Patient intake can also be done electronically with Intake Pro. Simplify the check-in process to collect patient information easily and promptly with this patient intake solution. Patients enter their information on a tablet at the office or can do so ahead of time from home. This information syncs seamlessly with other platforms like Practice Mate and EHR 24/7. Forms can be customized to your practice, or templates are available by practice type.    

Automated Appointment Reminders through Reminder Mate 

Keep your scheduling on track with Reminder Mate’s appointment reminder solution. Appointment management helps you stay organized and reduce the amount of no-shows and cancellations. Your practice can send appointment reminders in 16 different languages through text, phone calls, and email. Patients can confirm, cancel, or reschedule appointments. Reminders can be customized by message and how far in advance they need to be sent.

Telehealth Offerings for Convenient Appointments 

In the era of telehealth, some patients may struggle to adapt to using technology. This can significantly block patient engagement, particularly for older patients seeking care. Office Ally’s tools are easy for patients and providers to use, bridging the technology gap and creating a shared space for both entities that minimizes technical difficulties. 

Direct Messaging & Communication with Patients

Communication is the key to solid patient engagement. Without effective communication, patients may be unclear about what to do or why they should follow specific instructions. Direct messaging can improve patient care by facilitating communication between the patient and provider. This enables patients and providers to connect as their schedules allow, eliminating missed calls and games of phone tag. Direct messaging is a secure tool patients can use to discuss healthcare information with their providers while keeping their data safe.

Practice Mate enhances patient communication by offering a solution that integrates with patient portals to store patient health information so they can reference it even after their appointment or procedure. It allows the patient to message their provider directly if they have questions. In the portal, they can also look for updates on lab work, test results, and provider notes. 

Encourage Patients to Leave a Review 

Be sure to show patients their opinion is valued by asking them to leave reviews after receiving care. Reviews have become a standard practice in transparency, enabling the consumer (or, in this case, the patient) to be heard. It also provides honest experiences for future patients evaluating whether or not to use services. 

Integrate Patient Feedback for Continuous Improvement 

Technology can help your healthcare organization measure patient engagement through analytics tools in the patient engagement software. EHRs can track patient-physician interactions, appointment attendance, and prescription refills. Patient portal analytics can measure how frequently patients log in, which features they use, and how much time they spend in their portal. This data can also be used to measure patient engagement success.

Outside of these measurables, some healthcare organizations request feedback directly from their patients. This provides an honest view of how well the platform is working and can give real insight that can be used to make improvements.

Ensure Patient Data is Secure & Private 

Patient engagement software ensures patient data is private and secure, which is often a concern for patients. Platforms that intake patient data must be HIPAA compliant and face severe consequences for violations. Patient engagement tools must follow best practices to remain HIPAA compliant. 

Explore Our Medical Practice Management Solution: Practice Mate 

Effective practice management is achievable. Practice management software can help simplify the many daily processes and streamline these tasks to be automated. Remember, the key to successful patient engagement is consistently following up and taking a personalized approach. No two patients are alike, and each deserves individual consideration. Making sure things are easily understandable to patients will eliminate confusion that often prompts patients to give up on follow-up care. 

Office Ally’s suite of tools can facilitate successful patient engagement to foster a collaborative healthcare approach. Improve your patients’ outcomes with Office Ally’s tools today.