Most healthcare providers know outcomes improve when patients are actively engaged in the strategies and decisions regarding their care. Engaged patients are more apt to adhere to treatment and recovery plans, consume medications as prescribed and contact their providers if problems or complications arise.While patient engagement always has been important, it is even more crucial today thanks to advances in digital technology and the increasing demands of patients for personalized and frictionless healthcare experiences. In fact, according to the September 2018 Patient Experience Study, conducted by HIMSS Analytics on behalf of Spectrum Enterprise, fewer than 50 percent of patients were extremely or very satisfied across all primary points of engagement along the patient journey. Patients are paying more out of their pockets than ever, which causes them to think more like consumers and to demand the right services, cost transparency, and more information from their health files, including notes written by their providers in EMRs, said John Sharp, senior manager of the Personal Connected Health Alliance (PCHA), a HIMSS organization dedicated to healthcare innovation. They have higher expectations of the healthcare system and the technology that enables them to be consumers which further raises their expectations.Unfortunately, many providers are struggling to adjust to the modern era of patient engagement, according to Jan Oldenburg, a healthcare consultant and principal editor of Participatory Healthcare, published by HIMSS.

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