Patient Engagement — Past, Present & Future
In the previous blog — Impact of COVID-19 on India’s healthcare industry ( Part 1 & Part 2 ), we saw how technology and digital disruption are helping improve quality and accessibility of healthcare for all. In this blog, we will understand the importance of involving patients in their own health journey. This involvement where a patient actively participates in managing their own health is called Patient Engagement . What is “Patient Engagement”? Historically, a typical patient journey in simplest terms included — consulting a doctor when the patient observes some unusual symptoms and then undergoing specific treatment. A person consulted a doctor only at the onset of a disease or during an illness and did not care much about regular consultations or monitoring their own health conditions. This form of reactive care has many disadvantages and has proven to be fatal in many diseases. The term “Patient Activation” refers to a patient’s willingness to manage his or her own health. ...