Capital Health Care NetworkPatient Engagement Equals Success
Patient engagement has been defined as a concept that combines a patient’s knowledge, skills, ability and willingness to manage their own health and wellness in combination with interventions (like home health care) designed to increase activation (engagement) and promote positive patient behavior.
As homecare providers, we encourage our patients to take ownership in their own recovery and wellness by teaching and talking patient engagement. We know the single most important factor in recovery is the patient. Some patients require more education and support than others, but the key is active participation and ownership.
We teach patient’s how to better manage their condition or conditions so that they can get back to living life on their own terms. Patient engagement is especially important for those with chronic diseases or comorbidities. Our focus is to promote shared understanding of expectations, disease processes and restoration.
Here’s what we can do for our patients…
Problem Solving: We teach skills sets to help patients recognize, monitor and react to early symptoms that identify exacerbation.
Action Planning: We help patients develop strategies for making and keeping commitments to change unhealthy behavior.
Teach-Back: We ask patients to repeat back what we have taught to ensure that we have done our job at conveying information in a way they understand.
Here’s what our patients can do for themselves…
Open Communication: It is imperative that patients feel safe to share health facts and concerns with their homecare team. We want to hear and understand their stories.
Self Care: The desire, ability and willingness to do what is necessary to achieve, maintain and promote optimal health makes all the difference.
Self Monitoring: The ability to recognize changes in their conditions so that you can manage their symptoms and know when to take action leads to better outcomes and an improved sense of self-confidence.