Advancing Digital Patient Engagement: Opportunities for Differentiation

Rapid advancement in mobile digital health technologies has given consumers greater control over their care and the ability to engage more deeply with providers.

Nevertheless, consumer experiences are far from consistent as they use virtual care, symptom checkers, chatbots, provider search apps, online scheduling and myriad other tools and apps. Many patients report unsatisfactory experiences related to ease of use, siloed functionality and other factors.

3 Keys to Meeting Patient Needs

Surveys demonstrate some of the most important things patients want in their digital experiences:

Key 1

90% want to self-manage their care leveraging technology, according to a Practice Builders report.

Key 2

77% want the ability to schedule, change or cancel appointments online, notes an Accenture patient engagement study.

Key 3

Nearly two-thirds of consumers plan to continue using telehealth after the pandemic subsides, according to a 2021 Harris Poll.

This reinforces the importance of provider organizations developing and implementing a tightly integrated mobile strategy that ties together all consumer-facing digital elements to create a seamless experience throughout the patient journey.

A recently released Transformation Talks video from the AHA Center for Health Innovation provides insights on how to craft a digital strategy to meet patients’ needs.

Dan Dodson, system director, digital health and innovation, information services division, UNC Health, addresses key considerations for framing your digital front-door strategy while Diane Weber, R.N., executive director of the AHA’s Society for Health Care Strategy and Market Development, examines how to build scalable and efficient tools to consistently build your organization’s brand with consumers. Joshua Titus, CEO and founder of Gozio Health, shares best practices for selecting a digital health platform partner to help organizations ensure that their mobile apps and disparate data sources are in an easy-to-use form across the enterprise.