Consumer Engagement
The consumer engagement movement (or health care consumerism) encourages individuals to become more involved in their health and health care. This common-sense approach to health care involves the cooperation of patients, providers, payers and partners. It is designed to convert passive patients to active partners in their health.
What are the benefits of consumer engagement?
Consumer engagement involves taking this approach a step further when dealing with our health care providers. When consumers become more engaged in their health care, they can:
- Save money by choosing more appropriate care options
- Experience improved quality of care
- Build stronger patient-physician relationships
- Gain greater control over their individual health
What is MiHIA doing in this area?
MiHIA is taking a lead in the consumer engagement movement by offering tools and information needed for this region to benefit from health care consumerism. As a community of patients, providers, payers and partners, we can all benefit if we help engage consumers in their health care.
To find out more...
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality has published Questions are the Answer, a campaign that includes videos and a tool to build a personalized question list prior to a visit to a doctor, clinician or pharmacist.
Another helpful resource is the Joint Commission, an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies more than 18,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. Consumer information available from the Joint Commission includes the Speak Up series of brochures and videos, which include helpful information about preventing errors in your care, managing pain, preventing falls and more.