Streamlining Patient Engagement Through Technology #KareoChat Recap

Technology is a huge part of our everyday life. It makes sense to use it to improve our healthcare experience, and as this study shows, 48% of patients are looking for ways to be more involved in their healthcare treatment. Knowing that patients want to be involved paves the way to find ways to increase patient engagement with tech.

In a recent #KareoChat (first and third Thursdays at 9 a.m. PST/ 12 p.m. EST), Whende Carroll @whendemcarroll, MSN, RN-BC an informatics specialist with over 20 years of experience in nursing and the dynamic universe of health information technology, hosted the chat discussing ways to use technology to improve patient engagement.

Let’s dive into the discussion.

Topic 1: How Do You Use Health Information Technology to Streamline Workflows in Your Independent Medical Practice?

Health Information Technology is meant to make the healthcare process more efficient for everyone, from the patients to the clinicians. Here are a few ways chatters use HIT to streamline workflows.

#HIT can be utilized for redesigning process in practices - they all help foster #PatientEngagement #Kareochat

— Whende M. Carroll (@whendemcarroll) July 12, 2018

All clinical staff can use workflow redesign processes collectively - it's a team effort and all should be involved. See the opportunity and work together for efficiency #KareoChat

— Whende M. Carroll (@whendemcarroll) July 12, 2018

The participants also noted that nursing staff are excellent to lead the way to define or redefine a practices current process as they usually interact with the process from start to finish.

I have often heard that the best staff to define process is the #Nursing staff. They usually touch the process from start to finish. #KareoChat

— Janet M. Kennedy (@GetSocialHealth) July 12, 2018

I always think of #Nurses as the real time #workflow experts, cause we touch patients in so many ways throughout medical practices, and the community. #KareoChat https://t.co/EAPkJuqqDI

— Carol Bush (@TheSocialNurse) July 12, 2018

One of the first things you learn when you are out in the real world after nursing school is how to create your own #workflow. So, I agree, collaborating with #nurses would be a great place to start! #kareochat

— Janine Kelbach, Virtual Assistant | Coach | RN (@JanineKelbach) July 12, 2018

Topic 2: What’s Your Unique Definition of “Connected Health”?

The participants had a chance to discuss what “connected health” means. Here are a few definitions they added:

A2. Connected health encompases a lot of modalities. We are talking anything from telemedicine to the text my pharmacist sends me to let me know my refill is ready. #kareochat

— Annie Beth Donahue (@anniebdonahue) July 12, 2018

"Connected Health" - as a patient it means being able to get my healthcare information or care on demand. I'm pushy that way. #KareoChat

— Janet M. Kennedy (@GetSocialHealth) July 12, 2018

#kareochat Connected Health is seemless Medical Technology that is well-integrated and patient-focused - How are folks out there using this?

— Whende M. Carroll (@whendemcarroll) July 12, 2018

Topic 3: What Specific Ways Can You Use Connected Health to Serve the Quadruple Aim in Healthcare: Lower Costs, Improve Care Quality, and Enhance the Patient and Clinician Experience?

How can the Quadruple Aim be reached? Here are some great responses from the participants.

#HIT is essential to meet the #QuadAim.

— Whende M. Carroll (@whendemcarroll) July 12, 2018

Q3: Improving Quad Aim? Making healthcare info as accessible as possible, on-demand. #KareoChat

— Janet M. Kennedy (@GetSocialHealth) July 12, 2018

Topic 4: What Benefits Does Offering Patients a Way to Connect With a Medical Practice Before Their Visit Have on Patient Satisfaction? Why Do Some Practices Have Claim Rejection Problems?

Patients want to feel they are valued before, during and after a visit. Having ways for them to connect to the practice helps improve their overall satisfaction.

Q4: #Patients want to feel connected to healthcare - and that means communicating with them. Getting them used to #PatientPortals and providing health information is a good step. #kareoChat

— Healthcare Writers (@HMNwriters) July 12, 2018

This was a great conversation about how patients respond to pen and paper vs. computer in giving information to healthcare providers.

How do #patients respond to a solution such as a pre-visit e-intake in your experience? #KareoChat

— Whende M. Carroll (@whendemcarroll) July 12, 2018

I was so impressed that my MD had actually read it & "drilled down" to learn more when I came in for 1st visit. https://t.co/h8oZysEg5k

— Genie Skypek, Ph.D. (@genieskypekphd) July 12, 2018

As a psychol surveyor for TJCommission accreditation in #behavioralhealth, reading tons of records, it was clear tht pts usually gave more info when asked to write (not just check items) than providers got and documented.

— Genie Skypek, Ph.D. (@genieskypekphd) July 12, 2018

Do you think this can work electronically as well as a pen to paper for patients? It seems so but would love your additional thoughts of how this may be adopted in the wild #kareochat

— Whende M. Carroll (@whendemcarroll) July 12, 2018

Definitely! Especially for the more technologically inclined. I've read some research that pts disclose more re: trauma to computers than to people. Tampa VA found pts would come out of catatonic positions to complete computer-based psych tests.

— Genie Skypek, Ph.D. (@genieskypekphd) July 12, 2018

it would be fun to experiment to find when and how to reward completing the tasks, e.g., maybe ask for a small amount of info, have someone in office respond, then send more complete question set. I would bet that apparent interest would reward response rate.

— Genie Skypek, Ph.D. (@genieskypekphd) July 12, 2018

Topic 5: What is Your Opinion? Do EMR Decision Support Tools Such as Prompts and Reminders for Both Patients and Staff Foster Engagement? What About Safety?

Are reminders and prompts a good thing? Here are a few thoughts from the chatters.

OK - I love patient reminders... the first time. But a call and a text and an email? Make sure that when an appointment is confirmed the reminders stop. #KareoChat

— Janet M. Kennedy (@GetSocialHealth) July 12, 2018




Human factors such as redundancies, distraction and alarm/alert fatigue can be aided by Clinical Decision Support tools in EMRs. Thoughts? #kareochat

— Whende M. Carroll (@whendemcarroll) July 12, 2018

Bonus: What is the Most Successful Way That You Improve People - and Patient Connectedness While Delivering Care Throughout the Patient Care Continuum?

At the end of the day, healthcare is all about the patient and ultimately, their experience. Here are a few thoughts on how to improve patient connectedness while delivering quality care.

Our complete attention to the #Patient in need before, after and during #Medical encounters and treatments enhances #pateintexperience. Non-high-tech and we need to be mindful of that always. #KareoChat

— Whende M. Carroll (@whendemcarroll) July 12, 2018

Improving the way patients connect with their care is on the minds of many healthcare professionals. This was a great #KareoChat on improving the patient experience by using technology.

And as always, join us every first and third Thursday at 9 a.m. Pacific time @GoKareo #KareoChat to talk about critical topics facing independent practices and the patients they serve.