Healthcare Leaders: The Importance of Embracing Patient Engagement

Patient engagement takes many forms, but we know it goes well beyond a simple consult or occasional phone check-ins.

We are incredibly lucky to live in a historically connected world. The internet, smartphones, and technology of all kinds have brought people together in ways unimaginable just a few decades ago. These massive communications paradigm shifts have also left their mark on medicine, although in an unpredictable way. One of the most positive impacts on healthcare hasn’t been a breakthrough treatment or therapy – but an increase in patient engagement and a deep understanding of its importance in positive health outcomes.

Patient engagement, or patients actively educating themselves and being treated as a partner in decisions about their healthcare, is a key part of the “triple aim” of improved outcomes, better care, and lower costs. Patients want to be champions for their own health. Thanks to the ease with which anyone has access to the internet – from the most curious toddlers to the most tech-resistant seniors – people now have the tools at their fingertips to be that champion.