Patient Engagement in Healthcare Defined: Measuring its Effectiveness

It’s been said that patient engagement develops naturally when there is a regular, focused communication between patient and provider and it leads to behaviors that meet or more closely approach treatment guidelines. It is also believed that patients engaged in their own care make fewer demands on the health care system and more importantly, they experience improved health. Patients who are educated about both their condition and their care are also patients who are most likely to get and stay healthy. In fact, many believe that empowering patients to actively process information, decide how that information fits into their lives, and act on those decisions is a key driver to improving care and reducing costs.