Healthcare Technology Featured Article

November 18, 2020

What Are The Current Trends On Digital Patient Engagement?




Professionals in the medical industry understand the dire importance of patient engagement. Technology helps communication with patients he more efficient than before. Various clinics, hospitals, and medical institutions adopt modern technologies to provide relevant and important data to physicians, nurses, and patients. These procedures come with convenience to help medical experts provide appropriate care, while saving valuable time and money.

Here are the four current trends to watch out for in digital patient management:
 

1. Connected Devices
Various individuals now have access to connected devices that measure and record valuable health-related data. The information gathered by these gadgets aims to provide accurate data for physicians to diagnose their patients' wellbeing efficiently.

For example, a person might be wearing a fitness tracker on their wrist as they go about their day. This wearable device may have health-related features, such as 24-hour heart rate monitoring, calorie tracking, and quality of sleep measuring. Physicians may, then, gather the data acquired from the device’s connected app to see if the patient has issues regarding their wellbeing.

Additionally, the patient may use a special smartphone app to book online appointments with their doctors. The medical experts may also ask for any health-related information from their patients through the app. In turn, this mobile application should hasten checkups and improve accuracy in providing diagnoses to patients.
 

2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) And Machine Learning (ML)
It might seem that the medical and healthcare industries are using AI and ML to improve their digital patient engagements. However, some organizations in these sectors might only be scratching the surface for these technologies.

Today, many medical and health care organizations take advantage of social media chatbots to help with patient engagements. For example, the AI in social media may help clinics set appointments with their patients without human intervention. Doctors may, then, check their social media messages at their chosen time. In turn, technology should help reduce distractions for doctors and their secretaries. Additionally, patients won't need to go through the relatively tedious process of calling clinics and hospitals for the sake of setting appointments.

Aside from booking appointments, AI and ML may also help clinics attract more patients than before. One example is Google Ads--this solution lets users take advantage of the search engine’s algorithm to put their links at the top of search results. Hence, this paid advertising solution bypasses organic SEO procedures, allowing medical and health care businesses to stay ahead of the competition.
 

3. Improved Access To Care
Many patients tend to begin their medical and health care journeys through an online search. Organizations in these sectors can take advantage of the Internet by developing websites to help their patients gain relatively easy access to immediate care.

For instance, clinics may offer self-help pages to patients to let them gain a quick understanding of potential health issues. Moreover, possessing an online presence helps promote an increase in business. Some hospitals may also use their websites to allow individuals to call for ambulances with a button click. Patients may also use these sites to schedule appointments for imaging centers, which may help reduce long lines.
 

4. Reduced Risks Of Physician And Nurse Burnout
Introducing health IT solutions to improve digital patient engagement may also help reduce physician and nurse burnout risks. Many medical and healthcare organizations find technology a modern necessity to provide patients with proper care, while decreasing potential hazards that adversely affect doctor and nurse performance. These dangers may include anxiety and stress while on duty. Implementing updated channels for digital patient engagement helps improve the convenience felt by industry professionals while communicating with their patients.

Moreover, workflow and accountabilities adjust with modern communication tools, allowing for greater work-life balance for doctors, nurses, and other medical staff than before. In particular, modern email and telehealth technologies may help reduce the use of telephones for non-urgent matters. Although using telephones for in-house communications is still essential, these devices' sudden ring may increase the likelihood of increased disturbance, preventing efficient work.

Using other communication channels, particularly those that use the Internet, may help reduce these distractions. In turn, staff members may deal with their tasks with excellent focus, reducing medical malpractice risks.

Final Words
AI, ML, paid search engine ads, connected devices, and modern telecommunication channels may help improve digital patient engagement for clinics and hospitals. Along with their patients, medical and health care practitioners can use updated technologies to deliver convenience to the various parties involved. It might seem that the future for professional health practice is bright, and it may begin with using the right patient engagement technologies.

Ryan Knight
Ryan Knight is a successful blogger who writes topic about health and wellness. Aside from regularly updating his blog with high-quality content, Ryan also submits health-related articles to other websites.

 



Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. [Free eNews Subscription]




SHARE THIS ARTICLE



FREE eNewsletter

Click here to receive your targeted Healthcare Technology Community eNewsletter.
[Subscribe Now]