7 Tips to Raise Patient Engagement and Reduce Readmissions

Empower your patients for better outcomes

Actively engaged patients understand their health well and feel empowered to take proactive health management measures. Daily decisions like eating a healthy diet, taking medications correctly, or getting exercise come naturally, leading to better outcomes.

A meta-analysis of 48 studies found patient engagement has a significant impact: Engaged patients had better control of cholesterol and triglycerides, got more pap smears and mammograms, didn't smoke as much, had better control of depression, and were less likely to be hospitalized than patients with low engagement scores.

Building engagement is essential to achieving the best outcomes for your patients. Below, we explore seven strategies for encouraging your patients to take ownership of their health.

Seven tips to increase engagement

1.  Share decisions. Multiple studies report that shared decision-making improves compliance and helps patients take an active role in their healthcare.

Research shows that, when they are not involved in decisions, patients aren’t as careful to follow their doctor’s orders: Up to 50% don’t follow treatment plans fully and 50% don’t take medications as prescribed. A study published in the Patient Experience Journal found that patients who were not involved in decisions had a 34% higher chance of hospital readmission.

2.  Teach to activate. Being engaged in their health management is only possible if the patient clearly understands what they are doing and why they are doing it. To promote understanding, encourage patients to participate actively in teaching. Active participation in discharge teaching lowers readmission rates.

When you teach, encourage your patient to ask questions. Check their understanding of instructions and create the opportunity for discussion by having them restate what you taught, called “teach-back.” In one study, using teach-back improved patients’ understanding of health concepts by 37%.

3.  Provide written materials. Presenting discharge instructions in a variety of ways will help ensure you meet your patients' learning styles. Referring to printed discharge instructions when teaching improves information retention. A reliable written reference is crucial if your patient does not remember something after they are home.

Having a strong discharge solution is important. In one study, patients who did not get written discharge instructions had a 24% higher chance of readmission.

4.  Partner print with digital tools. Written materials help patients tremendously at discharge and while healing at home. Once they get home, patients appreciate digital tools that allow them to easily engage with their providers and ask questions.

Following COVID-19, it is no surprise that digital communication is on the rise. According to the 2023 State of Healthcare Customer Experience Benchmark Report, 59% of U.S. healthcare consumers prefer digital communication with their providers over traditional communication.

5.  Make a personal connection. A strong provider-patient relationship can significantly impact the patient's engagement in their care plan. Patients want to feel heard and know their opinions are respected. Studies show patients who like their doctor are much more likely to trust the treatment plan, be active care partners, and be comfortable asking clarifying questions.

6.  Assess social circumstances. Patients may understand how to manage their health but lack the resources to do so. Not only does this stop them from being proactive, but it can also be discouraging. Assess your patient’s financial and social circumstances and connect them with resources to overcome barriers like:

• Lack of transportation

• Lack of access to healthy food choices

• Lack of safe and affordable housing

• Lack of access to prescriptions

• Lack of coping skills due to poor support networks or mental illness

7.  Invest in follow-up. A follow-up appointment with a primary care doctor within seven days of discharge can lower readmissions, but engagement shouldn’t stop there.

Create systems of continuous communication. Phone check-ins, automated texts, and newsletters are potential ways to stay in touch after patients go home.

Make a goal to check in with patients once a month. Even something as simple as branded education materials patients can refer to when questions arise can keep you and their health fresh in their minds.

Take advantage of multiple approaches to encourage health ownership in your patients. Build trust and understanding with strong relationships and individualized teaching. Help patients overcome barriers and maintain contact to promote active participation and the best outcomes.