Don’t let the patients remain dependent on their physicians all the time. It is high time that the patients should be taught how to take care of their lives proactively and independently. For that, the patients need to understand their health condition to prevent further complications from any illnesses. This is where patient education plays a vital role in helping them become responsible for their health status. Patient education needs to be complete and easily understood. Educating patients is not only a job for physicians; even nurses can take up this responsibility.
Patient education's overall goal is to improve health outcomes, promote provider’s efficiency, and enhance the healthcare industry's performance. Here are the top 5 benefits that patient education delivers.
Prevent patient readmission
Preventing readmission is a huge responsibility for the entire healthcare sector as it increases the overall expenses. Hence, providers should effectively educate their patients about their health condition and the importance of following medication adherence throughout their hospitalization period. Thus, these patients will be prepared to take care of themselves after getting discharged, and they will not return for the same issue. Remember to educate your patients throughout the hospitalization period rather than just spending the last 15 minutes of a hospital stay. Better educate your patients in a friendly manner rather than sending a booklet full of instructions, as they will not be ready to go through them. Thus, patient education can prevent the readmission rate, reduce the hospital penalty score, and cut down the overall healthcare costs.
Patients can take control of their health status
The introduction of a patient education module in a healthcare app helps patients understand the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of the diseases. Patients can access this medical information in a document, image, or video format on their own devices. That way, they can take control of their health.
Improve medication adherence
Medication adherence is defined as taking the right dose of the right medications at the right time. Many patients have no idea about the importance of medications they consume. They may either consume wrongly or skip doses. This condition may lead to adverse side-effects. First, the providers should educate their patients about the importance of medication adherence and solve their queries. Even if the providers cannot educate their patients during direct visits, they can do so via virtual engagement tools like calls and chats. That’s how patient engagement can effectively improve medication adherence.
Improve patient and provider experience
No matter how many times you inform your patients that they are in the care of the most capable providers, nothing convinces them more than having a thorough understanding of the disease. Varied physicians assess the patients, and their diagnoses may confuse the patients. If your patients get more confused, they become more stressed, which is bound to impact negatively. This is where prompt patient education can improve patients' experience and help in their quicker recovery, which improves providers' satisfaction.
Allows healthcare providers to concentrate on high-priority tasks
Usually, patients call upon nurses and physicians for simple health-related queries like whether they can lie down with an extra pillow. At times, physicians may not be available to answer their patient's calls. During this condition, patients can virtually request their physicians. As soon as the physician becomes free, they can answer their patients' queries and educate them. By doing so, they can efficiently prioritize their time and deliver prompt service to all their patients.
Patient education finally makes all the difference. So, no more delays hereafter! Introduce patient education tools into your practice to improve your patient’s health outcomes. Are you ready to leap? Visit our website www.hifinite.com to learn more about the integration of the patient education module.