EHR Adoption: A Key Step to Increasing Patient Engagement

How EHR Improves Patient Engagement

Originally introduced as a provider-focused innovation to enhance care coordination and data management, the Electronic Health Record (EHR) has evolved into a vital tool for enhancing the patient experience. Today, Electronic Health Records (EHRs) play a central role in facilitating meaningful communication between patients and healthcare providers. By offering real-time access to health information, personalized care insights, and streamlined communication channels, Electronic Health Records (EHRs) support a more collaborative and transparent care model. This shift illustrates how EHR improves patient engagement by empowering individuals to take an active role in managing their health.

1. Access to health records enables patients to use your portal.

Patient portals have become the hub for increasing patient engagement. However, providers find that once they implement a portal solution, they are still faced with the challenge of getting patients to use it. Often, the first time a patient logs in to the portal, it is to access test results from a recent visit. Once there, it’s easy to explore other parts of their EHR, along with other portal features that boost engagement, such as prescription and appointment reminders, educational materials, and easy communication with physicians. You can also take advantage of numerous opportunities to promote your patient portal while the patient is in the office.

2. Physicians and patients can review EHR data together.

Physicians and patients access EHRs through different portals, but that doesn’t mean they can’t look at health records together. In fact, bringing the EHR into the appointment affords a valuable opportunity for patients to ask questions and gain background information on physician recommendations. In particular, visuals have considerable potential. For example, a physician can walk a patient through charts showing how their BMI or cholesterol readings have changed over time, along with recommendations on how to move forward. This type of tech-assisted interaction fosters a collaborative process between the provider and patient, resulting in increased patient engagement.

3. EHR-integrated voice recognition means no notes and better-quality FaceTime.

As demands on physicians multiply, patient visits get shorter. This presents a challenge for both providers and patients, and it’s essential to find strategies for maximizing the appointment’s effectiveness. Quality Facetime is one way to achieve this, and voice recognition software that records doctors’ notes for the EHR helps prevent documentation from standing in the way. The result is a better opportunity to build a positive and productive patient-provider relationship.

4. Patient education materials paired with EHRs equip patients with the information they need.

To play an active role in decisions about their health, patients want and need to see the data and learn about their health conditions. When you set patients up with a portal for reviewing their EHRs, you also have an opportunity to make that portal a one-stop shop where they can find patient education materials that help them understand their records. An interface that gives patients quick access to information about tests and results can be especially useful. Meanwhile, physicians can use EHRs to provide patients with targeted education materials that further engage them in the decision-making process.

Want to learn more about increasing patient engagement with an EHR? Call us at (480) 782-1116 to ask a question or learn more about our powerful EMR software.