MICROSOFT HEALTH
Patient engagement We ’ ve all experienced the healthcare system at some point . It can be frustrating , scary , and confusing . “ It ’ s one of the only industries I know where information needs to be kept totally private yet shared with everyone .” Kos observes . What does patient engagement look like ? At the simplest level , it ’ s technology that promotes the patient to an active , empowered position in the care relationship . That could be as simple as a patient view into the clinical care record , online meal ordering , or a kiosk check-in process . Many organizations have already replaced bedside entertainment systems with patient infotainment systems , allowing patients to access contextual , accurate and personalized health information , and even interact with the care team . Where could it lead ? “ I see precision
medicine , medical wearables , and the connected patient home as aspirational goals . The technology is not the limiting factor .” says Kos .
Patient engagement strategies are about more than simply adding a pleasant veneer to a healthcare encounter . “ That wouldn ’ t be transformation .” explains Kos . He illustrates using an example from Children ’ s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City . They changed how they monitor certain cardiac conditions at home , replacing the traditional three-ring binder with an online record shared in real-time with the care team . The addition of video footage from the webcam has made a dramatic improvement , and they have decreased the mortality of hypoplastic left heart syndrome from 20 % to almost zero . Their story is publicly available on Youtube and well worth a watch :
This model is currently being rolled out to other hospitals nationally , and will redefine the prognosis for this condition . As a model of care however , it could just as readily be applied to any other condition 80 November 2017