Category: E-Patient

Posted in E-Patient

Health Affairs: Patient Engagement

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A growing body of evidence demonstrates that patients who are more actively involved in their health care experience better health outcomes and incur lower costs. As a result, many public and private health care organizations are employing strategies to better engage patients, such as educating them about their conditions and involving them more fully in making decisions about their care.

“Patient activation” refers to a patient’s knowledge, skills, ability, and willingness to manage his or her own health and care. “Patient engagement” is a broader concept that combines patient activation with interventions designed to increase activation and promote positive patient behavior, such as obtaining preventive care or exercising regularly. Patient engagement is one strategy to achieve the “triple aim” of improved health outcomes, better patient care, and lower costs.

Click www.healthaffairs.org for a summary of key findings on patient engagement published in the February 2013 issue of Health Affairs.

Posted in E-Patient, Patient Empowerment

Study highlights important role that patients play in determining outcomes

Posted on by Editor

When it comes to health care, patients with the motivation, knowledge, skills and confidence to manage their own health have better health outcomes and incur fewer health care costs.

Those are the findings of a study led by Judith Hibbard, a professor emerita in the Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management at the University of Oregon. Hibbard and co-authors found that patients with the lowest level of “activation”— that is, those most lacking in the skills and confidence to be actively engaged in their health care—had average costs that were from 8 percent to 21 percent higher compared to patients with the highest level of activation. The study was the basis for two papers appearing in the February issue of Health Affairs.

“The study highlights the important role that patients play in determining outcomes,” said Hibbard, who recently appeared as a featured expert on health care reform at a White House health care summit at Stanford University. “We found that patients who were more knowledgeable, skilled and confident about managing their day-to-day health and health care—also called patient activation—had health care costs that were substantially lower than patients who lacked this type of confidence and skill.” Hibbard and her team adjusted for patient differences, such as demographic factors and severity of illnesses. Even among patients with the same chronic illness, they found those who were more “activated” had lower overall health care costs than patients who were less so. An earlier study by the same authors had already established that more activated patients also had better health outcomes.

Using a Patient Activation Measure that assesses beliefs, knowledge and confidence in managing health-related tasks, the researchers found that patient scores on a questionnaire that ranks patient activation showed that patients’ responses in effect predicted their overall care costs—even when adjusted by the severity of patients’ health conditions, age, sex and income. The researchers recommend that health delivery systems consider assessing these patient activation scores and supporting patients to become more engaged in their health and health care, as a way to both improve patient outcomes and lower costs.

See on medicalxpress.com

Posted in Conference, Doctors 2.0, E-Patient

Doctors 2.0 &You: Crowdfunding ePatient Travel Scholarships

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Crowdfunding the participation of e-Patients at an international health 2.0 conference is an exciting initiative by Basil Strategies, the organizers of the International Doctors 2.0 & You Conference .

The conference which will take place in Paris, June 6-7, 2013, is the only European event dedicated to bringing physicians and patients together to engage with web 2.0 tools and social media. Patients play a central role at the conference as advisors in the parallel sessions and as members of judging panels judging posters and exciting start-ups.

We’re bringing all the healthcare stakeholders together to make things MOVE. That’s what Doctors 2.0 & You is all about.

It is the experience, passion and commitment of engaged patients that drive innovation in the changing paradigm of healthcare. You can be part of this by contributing to the fund.  In this season of Christmas, what a great gift to give someone – the chance to play an empowered role in their own health in 2013.

Donations start as small as $10 and increase in size to reflect your contribution to funding a patient to attend the conference. You will also gain visibility for your brand through your involvement.

You can read full details here.