Melissa Kozak
May 31 2022
Reading Time: 3 minutes
By: Melissa Kozak, RN, BSN, President & Co-Founder, CitusHealth
Patient engagement is a trending topic among home-based care providers, but why? In our post-pandemic “new normal,” where consumers now expect instant communication and digital capabilities from every company they interact with, this same expectation is placed on healthcare. Patients and their families want to be engaged in real time, on their terms. And when providers meet or even exceed these expectations, satisfaction is positively impacted.
What is patient engagement in home-based care?
The truth is that patient engagement could mean 50 different things to 50 different providers. It could be talking to a patient over the phone or interacting with family caregivers on an online portal. But when we consider engagement as a buzzword, it’s about finding more modern ways to communicate with those we serve—as many providers are getting pressured by referral sources to do so, and with good reason. Based on surveys of patients and family caregivers who experienced care in home health, hospice, and palliative care settings, engagement can make or break satisfaction:
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- 43% of family caregivers claimed to be “very satisfied” with their providers on communication with family, training family to care for the patient, getting timely help, and emotional and spiritual support.
- 80% of family caregivers would give a hospice and palliative care higher CAHPS scores if they enable instant communication through computer, tablet, or mobile phone.
- 95% of home-based patients and family caregivers want more instant communication with their team through computer, tablet, or mobile phone.
- 78% of family caregivers would choose a provider that enabled direct, instant communication.
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How did patient engagement become such a significant expectation?
The term “engagement” came about when social media platforms came into existence. When consumers engage with posts on any social media platform—whether it’s views, likes, etc.—it’s considered successful. The objective is always getting consumers to spend as much time as possible interacting with social media content. The longer someone scrolls, the larger the measure of engagement success.
At CitusHealth, we have a different approach to patient engagement. It’s more comprehensive, starting the moment care gets referred through the end of care, whatever that may be. For us, it’s not about how long patients and caregivers interact with our platform, it’s about whether they accomplish what they set out to do. Unlike social media, we want less time being spent on our technology—because that means they can connect with their care teams faster, get information more efficiently, and get back to living their lives.
That’s why we think of patient engagement more as remote patient support. Our goal is to support the entire care journey, make engagement as efficient and collaborative as possible, and give patients and caregivers the consumer experience they expect from home-based care providers.
Is remote patient support a priority for your organization? With its impact on patient and caregiver satisfaction, it should be. Schedule a demo today to learn how we can help home-based care providers better engage those they serve—leading to improved satisfaction and more positive outcomes.
