4 Patient Engagement Strategies to Close Patient Care Gaps

Care gaps can result in missed or delayed diagnosis, and subsequently, more costly and potentially more invasive treatment down the line. As healthcare providers edge closer toward value-based reimbursement, working to identify and then use patient engagement to address those care gaps will be essential.

After a medical provider has identified high-needs populations or ones for whom there are extensive care gaps, it can begin the patient outreach process.

Patient outreach and communications need to be judicious, as different populations may be more responsive to certain outreach strategies than others. There’s a lot of data suggesting that patients would rather be contacted via text message or email, with a preference for phone calls waning.

As part of patient outreach, healthcare organizations should consider different patient education techniques that outline the importance of preventive care access.