Which Patients Are More Likely to Engage in Their Care?

Patient engagement has become the main focus of modern healthcare. When healthcare practitioners manage to engage patients in their care, they are more likely to feel optimistic about the treatment, have higher self-esteem, and have positive opinions about their health outcomes.

Since patient engagement is vital, health practitioners have developed many ways to improve this aspect. To create an adequate approach, they must assess which patients are more likely to engage in primary care. Here are a few tips.

Factors Influencing Patient Engagement

According to a systematic review of studies covering patient engagement, there are three most important factors influencing it:

• Patients
• Organization
• Society

Patients

The patient engagement ultimately depends on the patient. It is easier for them to engage in their care if they understand their role in the treatment and the exact steps to overcome a particular condition.

Factors such as health literacy, education, and personal beliefs influence patients to engage in their care. Remember, your job as a primary care provider is to inform and educate them about the suggested procedures and treatments. But it shouldn’t be in an “all-knowing, do as I say because I say so” way. Try to connect with a patient and see what drives them, their concerns, beliefs, and treatment preferences. By including them in the treatment decision, you increase the chances of patient engagement.

So, you should listen to your patients during the consultations, make a diagnosis and explain possible treatment paths, ask about their preferences, and come up with the best solution based on medical evidence and patient inclinations.

Organization and Society

These aspects of patient engagement mostly relate to regulations, policies, and practices. They need to be developed to ensure the best care and safety for patients. Sometimes, people outside the medical community can participate in creating regulations and policies through surveys and acting as advisors. Those roles are essential to developing the best care practices and standards.

How likely patients are to engage in their care also has to do with cultural and social norms. For instance, it is taboo to talk about HIV or mental health in some communities, and patients seeking medical help for these problems are probably less likely to engage.

So, Which Patients Are the Most Likely to Engage?

The patients most likely to engage in their care are motivated to get help. The experience shows that those with higher motivation are likely to follow treatment plans closely, which increases their chances of favorable health outcomes.

Patients who are more likely to engage also have higher health literacy. They tend to spend more time researching medical providers, health insurance, possible treatments, and other medical-related topics.

However, including your patients in the decisions is the best way to build trust and ensure care engagement.

How to Improve Patient Engagement?

If you are looking to improve patient engagement, Peregrine Healthcare can help. We offer various services that assess the satisfaction level of your patients, create marketing strategies, and generate new ways to attract and engage patients. Click here to learn more.