Knowledge Library

Patient activation has a significant effect on a patient’s management of chronic disease.¹ Various studies indicate that promoting discussion and problem solving to help chronic disease patients make informed self-management choices on an ongoing basis increases activation and improves outcomes.²

The ability of patients to comply with discharge instructions is related to their activation level. Research indicates that identifying and intervening on behalf of patients with low activation levels could reduce their risk of an unplanned rehospitalization.¹

Patient engagement generally describes patient involvement in their own healthcare. The concept of patient engagement is not new; for example, diabetes educators have been talking about “shared decision making” since the early 1990s.¹ It is still a current hot topic among policymakers, though, and is a key component of meaningful use legislation, the Affordable Care Act, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Strategy for Quality Improvement in Health Care. Additionally, increasing patient engagement can benefit you and your patients. Engaged patients are more likely to have better outcomes and greater satisfaction with their healthcare experience and are also less likely to file malpractice lawsuits.²

The informed consent process is an excellent time to engage patients. Ideally, an informed consent to treatment is the end result of a shared decision making process between a clinician and patient. This process, when executed appropriately, can have many benefits. It can decrease liability exposure, increase patient adherence, protect the patient’s right to self-determination and increase patient satisfaction.¹

Although clinical experience develops many skills, physicians benefit from external input for improving communication skills.^1,2 Physicians can use the following techniques and training resources to improve their communication with patients and demonstrate empathy.