As healthcare in the U.S. transitions from a fee-for-service model to a pay-for-performance model, researchers at technology products and services provider CDW note healthcare providers are increasingly turning to digital tools to help increase patient engagement and satisfaction.
CDW's 2017 Patient Engagement Perspectives Study builds on the company's 2016 research to explore the drivers and challenges inherent to patient engagement and how providers plan on expanding their capacity to engage with their patients.
Here are five key takeaways from the survey.
1. Seventy percent of patients said they have become more engaged with their healthcare during the last two years, up from 57 percent in 2016.
2. When asked what motivated them to become more involved with their healthcare, patients said they were motivated by increased online access to personal healthcare records and greater access to online patient portals. Seventy-four percent of patients joined a patient portal offered by their provider, up from 45 percent in 2016.
3. Providers are also taking action to increase patient engagement. Sixty-seven percent of providers recognized patient engagement as an important part of improving overall care. Fifty-six percent of providers said technology advancements have made it easier to interact with patients and 55 percent cited meaningful use requirements as their reason for increased engagement with their patients.
4. However, despite progress, only 29 percent of patients would award their providers an "A" for their use of technology to interact with patients.
5. Providers acknowledged patient portals will play a significant role in engaging with patients in the future and will assist providers in understanding patients' needs and how providers can help patients get the most out of their healthcare experience.