Engaging patients in their own care and providing them with a superior experience of care is critically important. Patients who are engaged are empowered to take control of their own health and are more likely to adhere to treatment plans and have better outcomes. Patient engagement is central to many quality programs, which can’t achieve their goals of higher quality, lower cost health care without engaged, empowered patients. In fact, as the Kaiser Family Foundation recently discussed, patient behavior has a huge impact on a patient’s health—much larger than other factors. This means that as providers are being increasingly held accountable for a patient’s total health, and not just their health care, patient engagement and patient experience will continue to grow in importance.
Along with highlighting the need for increased engagement, the shift to value-based health care and the increasing power of patients as health care consumers is driving the need to provide optimal experiences of care. Patient experience is about more than making patients happy. It is, first and foremost, about treating patients the way we would want our friends and family treated – providing the right support, at the right time, with compassion and communication. In addition to the moral and ethical imperatives behind patient experience, there are far reaching impacts for a hospital in terms of revenue, reputation, and patient loyalty. The consumerization of health care in recent years means that patients have more options than ever, and better visibility into the effectiveness of hospitals, which must do more to win and keep their patients.
Guideway Care offers a program with proven results in increasing patient engagement and satisfaction. Guideway’s care guidance program includes multiple components specially designed to target specific conditions and patient experience metrics:
Guideway’s comprehensive care guidance programs ensure that patients receive support when and where they need it, with person-to-person and technology-supported interactions designed to drive patient behavior change. We address the many gaps in the patient experience, and patients feel heard, valued and prepared through every step of their care journey. Our program also offers the ability to drive, measure, and impact patient reported outcomes using patient surveys conducted in-person, as well as via phone and text, which gather critical data on physical, financial, and emotional well-being, as well as quality of life. Care guidance drives patients’ engagement with their care, enhances their experience, and helps providers build stronger relationships with patients and their families.