Evaluating Six Electronic Patient Engagement Tools

From "meaningful use" under CMS' EHR Incentive Program to new value-based payment models, patient engagement is becoming a key metric in determining the success of today's physicians.And while there are various electronic tools to aid and strengthen the ties and communication between physician and patient, there are also numerous challenges, according to Shannon Vogel, MS, FHIMSS, director of health information technology for the Texas Medical Association. "I like the idea of patient engagement and I think it is important for physicians to have tools available to provide information back to patients, but I also feel somewhat badly for physicians having to spend a lot of extra time and cost resources on these tools without necessarily getting more reimbursement," she told Physicians Practice. "So there are definitely some challenges as we are in the infant stages of patient engagement and the tools that are available."Here, Vogel explores six electronic patient engagement tools and the pros and cons for physicians, their practices, and their patients.Vogel is a featured speaker at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Conference in Chicago.  Her session, "Physician Tools for Patient Engagement" is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. CT.To view the slides in PDF format, click here.