A Human-Touch, Tech-Enabled Care Guidance Approach to Patient Activation

Guideway Care president, Greer Myers, recently contributed to Med City Newswith an article discussing the benefits of a unique solution to patient activation, and how this approach uncovers patient issues stemming from social determinants of health (SDoH). This article can be accessed and viewed in its entirety here.

Healthcare administrators increasingly recognize that patients who are more actively engaged in their health care will experience better outcomes and incur lower costs. While there is broader understanding of the term “patient engagement” — strategies ranging from educating patients about their conditions to involving them more fully in making decisions about their care – the term “patient activation” may be less understood.

A component of engagement, patient activation is defined as empowering a person with skill, knowledge and confidence to manage his or her health and healthcare in illness and wellness. It describes the behavioral change, knowledge, skills and confidence a person develops to take a proactive role in personal health management. The challenge is, patients who have fewer resources, lower motivation and are constrained by social determinants of health (SDoH) are less likely to proactively act to better their health status.

Today’s care guidance is being bridged by an innovative patient-centric approach that is activating patients and creating measurable impacts on patient outcomes, reported satisfaction and quality scores, as well as lowering care management expenses and total cost of care.

High-tech capabilities are the “secret sauce” for driving the human touch, which results in highly structured and protocolized peer-to-patient care guidance interaction. While analytics can help identify probable risk and technology can facilitate communication, neither can establish the needed personalized, peer-to-patient relationship, as provided by Gare Guides, that leads to real, meaningful patient activation and barrier resolution.

Vendor-partner care guidance relationships with hospitals, health systems, payers and provider organizations can positively impact patient lives, activate behaviors to enhance health outcomes and concurrently drive financial and operational improvements in Value-Based Care. Utilizing trained non-clinical Care Guide resources to work with patients and caregivers to understand and resolve their barriers to care will result in a uniform care experience and optimal outcomes.

Guiding the Future of Health Care

A care guidance solution requires collaboration with like-minded partners dedicated to improving health and welfare for entire communities. As your partner Guideway Care delivers on the promise of health equity.

Please contact us if you have questions or need support. For more information on Guideway Care and to view our selection of case studies and white papers reach out to us.