6 Tips to Drive Engagement With Your Patient Education Platform

DID YOU KNOW that over 50% of patients say that a trusted care provider could get them to use a patient engagement platform, but only 11% of patients report that a care provider has ever talked to them about it?^[1]

So, if you only read this blog up to this point, and take the simple step of informing your patients about the platform and how it will benefit them, you will improve the likelihood that they will log in. Now if you want to increase engagement with your platform, read on!

Here are 6 tips that will ensure they keep using it after they have logged in that very first time:

1. Start with a warm invitation

Patients do need to choose to be educated, so it’s your job to earn their attention and trust. Once they are logged in, the first thing that should greet them is a pre-recorded video message that shares a little about your mission and your team. Let them know they matter to you, why their participation will make a difference, and that you are grateful for the opportunity to have them as a patient.

2. Include family members

Many of your clients rely on and greatly benefit from the support of one or more people in their inner circle. These trusted relationships help clarify advice, answer questions, and reinforce key learnings.   

Acknowledge their value by inviting these important supporters as separate account users. Ideally, they will have the ability to not only view but actively participate in the care experience. This is especially helpful if the patient is not able to effectively communicate their needs, but does benefit from and feels respected by being able to use the platform. 

3. Provide personalized content 

Demonstrating that you respect the patient’s time is one of the easiest and most effective ways to earn their trust. Access to a library with a hundred articles can create confusion rather than empower them. Similarly, overly generic content leaves them wondering if it was meant for them. You’ll recognize that this is happening when they start calling relatives for advice, researching online, and finally, after trying other options, calling your office.

4. Send automated reminders

Avoid pre and post-procedure stress by setting reminders for appointments and activities. An appropriate amount of advance notice will help patients feel confident that they have everything prepared.

Bonus points for sharing a personal video the day before surgery to let them know you’re looking forward to seeing them the next day!

5. Follow up on their progress

Have you ever signed up for a gym membership and stopped using it after the first two visits? Just as a personal coach can keep people on track, a check-in from a clinic can result in exactly the same result for patients who are striving to have a great health outcome.

Send a quick survey to your recovering patients, to see how their exercises are going, or even ask them to share a range-of-motion video. After reviewing the responses, schedule a quick video call to determine whether an appointment would be beneficial.

6. Recognize their success

There’s nothing like the feeling of having someone whose opinion you value saying these words: “Great job!” If you see that a patient has learned and prepared and participated, and they’re doing all the things they can to ensure they have an optimal recovery – let them know. You won’t only have increased their confidence and their knowledge, you will have a loyal supporter who recommends you and your services to others.

Remember, the platform is merely the vehicle that keeps your patients on track during their care journey - you still need to give them the keys and encourage them to take it for a spin.  

The great news is that if you follow these six tips, they’ll be more likely to get all the way to their destination and with better outcomes! 

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About the author: Mary Pat Hinton

Mary Pat is the CEO and co-founder of Emmetros, the creators of SparxConnect. In 2014, she left her corporate leadership role to pursue her heart-work by launching Emmetros. Driven by a commitment to honor her late grandmother, Mary Pat set out to create technology that prioritizes the independence and dignity of the person receiving care.