Digital Patient Engagement: Actionable Communications to Help Patients Navigate Healthcare White Paper

Before the pandemic, many patients found it challenging to navigate their care options, especially given the complexity of the healthcare system and pervasive issues with health literacy. Now that concerns about COVID-19 compound these issues, modern healthcare organizations must motivate patients to act, guiding them to necessary care in both physical and virtual settings while educating these individuals about treatment instructions and adherence.

Reaching patients requires a thoughtful engagement approach that is highly personalized and minimizes the burden on staff members. The latter should be top of mind for any health system leader because increased workloads for healthcare workers already facing stress and strain from COVID-19 will exacerbate burnout. To be effective, outreach must use the channels patients prefer and encourage patients to respond when they are able. Asynchronous engagement allows for this so that patients can respond when they want to act, while staff can follow up when it makes sense. In particular, automated communication via SMS helps patients navigate numerous needs and concerns, from scheduling a vaccine to preparing for an upcoming surgery.