Leveraging Technology to Enhance Patient Engagement

by John Clarke

Since 2023, the NHS, across the whole of the country, has been facing the formidable task of tackling the backlog of patient appointments accumulated during the Covid-19 pandemic at a time of extreme unfunded inflationary pressures. Plus, the healthcare system is also challenged by the requirements of keeping patient engagement satisfied.

As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, the use of digital tools and platforms to improve patient engagement has become more important. Embracing digital patient engagement portals like Netcall’s Patient Hub can create a better experience for patients and staff.

Read our guide to know more about the need to improve patient engagement, the suitable digital tools and the strategies for an efficient adoption.

In this article, we’ll answer the following questions for you:

• What is patient engagement?
• The complex landscape of healthcare and patient engagement
• The importance of patient engagement
• The power of using advanced patient engagement technology
• Our digital patient engagement portal
• Challenges and considerations in improving patient engagement through technology
• Patient engagement strategies for a better experience
• A partnership for transformative healthcare

Patient engagement refers to the process by which patients become active participants in their health care process. This includes understanding their conditions, adhering to treatment plans, using tools to track health metrics and communicating regularly with their care team.

Looking back, it was hard to write an exhaustive list of pressures in healthcare, it is like a very tired but determined marathon runner, working so hard for so long, exhausted but determined to provide the best care it can to everyone who needs it. Some common issues are:

• Persistent backlog of patient appointments
• Staff shortages and workforce burnout
• Financial constraints and resource limitations
• Digital divide and technology adoption challenges
• Increasing demand for healthcare services
• Rising healthcare costs and affordability concerns
• Health inequalities and social determinants of health
• Broken patient communication and appointment management. Read more about A Broken Patient Communication Journey.

While recognising the NHS’s significant organisational resiliency, many of the burning issues have been around for a long time and would not be easily solved. Technology can be a new disruptor to these problems and help provide new options to tackle these long-standing issues.

We needed to focus our efforts on supporting the NHS’s efforts to improve patient care and optimise healthcare resources using our technologies to create new ways of working, new opportunities to transform and to leverage the shift to digital engagement channels, whose acceptance was significantly accelerated as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Patient engagement is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s a necessity. Many studies show that engaged patients are better informed and more likely to follow their treatment plans. They are also less likely to be re-admitted after hospital discharge. As a result, they become more satisfied with their overall care experience.

The overall positive experience improves health outcomes, especially for chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension and asthma. Other benefits are lower healthcare costs, reduced emergency visits and prevention of complications.

On the other hand, healthcare systems that invest in digital tools for engagement report greater efficiency and stronger patient loyalty.

Digital tools are the answer to the question of how to improve patient engagement in healthcare. Digital engagement has enabled patients to access care anytime, anywhere, breaking down geographic and temporal barriers. Some current common tools that are used to engage patients are:

• Waiting list validation
• Appointment notifications and reminders
• Patient care surveys

Advanced technologies improve patient engagement in various ways. Let’s discover.

Predictive analytics

By leveraging AI and machine learning models, digital patient engagement tools can predict and create personalised care plans through patient information and patterns. This helps facilitate proactive interventions and the right communication for treatment plans.

Patient engagement applications

AI-powered tools like notification and reminders software can help reduce missed appointments. Providing medication reminders, triaging symptoms and directing users to the right level of care are other capabilities of digital healthcare solutions. These systems reduce clinician workload while ensuring consistent and timely communication.

Our digital health platform, Patient Hub, helps improve patient communication and appointment management across many parts of the UK. For example, in England, alongside seamless integration with the NHS App, this comprehensive solution facilitated secure messaging, convenient appointment scheduling and timely reminders, markedly elevating the patient experience.

Looking at our work with Patient Hub, we have:

• 10.2 million notifications sent out by our NHS customers in 2023 using Patient Hub. This year, our NHS customers sent out over 10.2 million notifications via our patient engagement portal, Patient Hub. And managed over 2.3 million individual appointments. All contribute to reduced waiting times, improved patient care access for patients up and down the UK and enhanced patient experience.
• £11.2 million saved from being wasted. Working with our NHS customers, we’ve helped to significantly reduce DNAs and saved over £11.2m from being wasted, leading to enhanced patient experiences and outcomes.
• 25 new deployments of Patient Hub in 2023. We’re proud to have deployed our patient engagement solutions in many Trusts and Boards across the UK this year. Welcome to the Netcall family!
• Average patient uptake at 72%. It’s clear patients love to use our intuitive tools.

Whilst digital inclusion does remain a problem, we must remember that digital is also an enabler. When done appropriately and increasingly, it’s a lifeline for many to a chaotic world.

Explore how our tool can help your organisation transform the outpatient pathway using automation.

By providing patients with a self-service portal, we’ve empowered them to manage their appointments and inquiries independently, reducing the burden on healthcare staff. This digital approach not only streamlined patient processes but also freed up valuable time for healthcare professionals to focus on providing direct patient care.

We showcased the fantastic deployment at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. It is hard to overlook their stated annual savings from not printing/posting letters of £232k per annum. Here is what Louis, a patient, shared about his experience with our tool.

“Previously, it has not been possible for me, as a blind/visually impaired person, to manage my appointment bookings, and especially difficult for me to manage my letters… Patient Hub is a simple, secure, easy-to-use and, most importantly, accessible system that allows people like myself to manage our appointments and read our letters without any assistance required. I’m incredibly grateful to the team behind this system. This new system gives me much hope for the future.”

Louis

Patient, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

1. Personalisation

Patients may not be actively engaged if they do not feel the power of personalisation from the tool, or if it is not user-friendly. Generic messages rarely work. Healthcare providers should consider digital solutions that offer a high level of personalisation, such as customised language and tone based on demographics.

2. Health & digital literacy

Health and digital literacy remain challenges that can lead to inequities and limit individuals’ ability to use tools. Patients with problems with digital literacy can find it hard to navigate the tools, hindering all their features. For health literacy, individuals can struggle to understand complex medical terms.

To tackle this issue, we recommend organisations ensure all communications are written in plain language, available in multiple languages, inclusive and culturally sensitive. Plus, it is also important to select a platform provider that offers training and support in case you need resources or patient education materials.

3. Data security and privacy

Another big concern in patient engagement technology is data security and privacy. Cybersecurity threats and sensitive patient data make ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and privacy of data more important.

Transparency in data handling practices and obtaining patient consent for data usage is vital for building and maintaining patient trust. By ensuring data security and privacy, healthcare organisations can foster a safe and secure environment, encouraging patients to engage in their healthcare journey actively. Ensure your organisations choose a digital tool that complies with HIPAA and GDPR standards and provides encryption and secure protocols.

1. Identifying a clear vision and objectives

Starts with a well-defined vision. Healthcare providers must first understand what they aim to achieve, for example: improving medication adherence, increasing preventive screenings, or enhancing the overall patient experience. These objectives should align with both clinical goals and patient needs. Setting specific, measurable outcomes allows organisations to focus resources and technologies more effectively. 

2. Going digital with diagnostics

The ideal patient engagement platform should meet your patient population’s preferences and be easy for both patients and staff to use. Consider technologies that offer secure messaging, appointment scheduling, telehealth, mobile health apps and AI-powered personalisation. It’s also important to evaluate integration with existing systems. As diagnostics move into the digital realm, incorporating connected devices and data-driven solutions can offer more proactive and personalised care.

3. Plan the process

Start by mapping the patient journey, identifying digital touchpoints and streamlining workflows to avoid bottlenecks. Planning should involve input from both clinicians and administrative staff, ensuring usability and long-term adoption. A well-thought-out plan includes training, change management and timelines for rollout and evaluation. The Universal Process Notation model provides a great framework for aligning digital systems with patient expectations and care pathways.

4. Consider engagement with all touchpoints

Patient engagement is an ongoing relationship that spans the entire care continuum. The mapping process should consider all the touchpoints of engagement. Start engaging before the appointment with automated reminders. During the visit, provide tools like tablets, virtual assistants, or telehealth platforms that encourage active participation. Aftercare should include personalised follow-ups, medication tracking and access to support through mobile apps or chatbots.

5. Find the right metrics to track the engagement results

Tracking the right data will help your organisation understand the impact of a patient engagement strategy. The metrics need to align with the objectives that your organisation has identified. Some basic metrics are portal logins, message response times, appointment attendance and telehealth usage. Some digital patient engagement tools have AI-powered analytics to identify trends and make proactive improvements. Patient feedback, both qualitative and quantitative, should be continuously collected to refine tools and messaging.

Netcall’s commitment to innovation and collaboration has enabled the NHS to navigate some of the challenges since 2023 and emerge a little stronger. By providing intelligent automation, patient engagement and communication solutions, Netcall has played a vital role in improving patient care, reducing waiting times, optimising resource utilisation and amplifying collaboration among healthcare providers.

Leveraging AI for enhanced scheduling and pre-appointment communication

Netcall’s Liberty AI offers solutions like AI-powered scheduling, which will further enhance the efficiency of appointment management within the NHS. By analysing historical appointment data and patient preferences, these solutions will intelligently recommend suitable appointment slots, reducing the time and effort required for staff to find available slots.

As the NHS in all parts of the UK continues its journey towards enhanced patient care and operational efficiency, Netcall stands as a trusted partner, providing cutting-edge solutions that empower healthcare professionals to deliver the best possible care to patients across the UK.

Talk to us to discover how our patient engagement technology can help your organisation.