Artificial Intelligence in Patient Engagement

• Programs such as specialty pharmacy is been undertaken where pharmacists and nurses provide various customized therapy management services to patients aimed at encouraging adherence
• Interactive voice response calls, emails, texts, letters, mobile app medication reminders, and one-on-one pharmacist outreach and consultation are being adopted to help patients manage side effects and other issues to ensure patient adherence

Use of AI and Digital Technologies

Patient engagement tools allows for better predictive analytics around patient health and more timely intervention thus avoiding the cost of emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

• Technologies that are patient-centric are found to be most effective as they support patients in efforts to be healthy and provide input to providers on how patients are doing when not in clinic
• Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are currently leveraging AI solutions for chronic disease management in the areas of cancer and diabetes

Patient Access Programs

A multi year study states that those with “excellent” HCAHPS patient ratings had an average net margin of 4.7%, compared to just 1.8% for hospitals with “low” ratings. Further patient experience constitutes 7 of the 33 accountable care organization quality measures defined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

On average, patients influence more than $1.5 million in hospital expenditures for their households over a lifetime. Patient access has therefore gained importance in recent years and several patient assistance program models that support patients in accessing their medications have been set up.

Patient Engagement Trends and Technologies

There has been an uptick in the usage of automated revenue cycle patient access solutions between 2013 and 2017.More than 70 percent of users utilize patient access solutions via hosted, web-based, Software as a Service (SaaS) deployment method for at least one function.

Artificial Intelligence

• Using past patient data, patient demographics, chief complaints, location, and environmental factors, algorithms can predict who will show up late, who will cancel, and who will not-show
• Using the patient record, patient history, and physician habits, machine learning tools help set the right appointment length

Virtual doctor appointments

• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts has partnered with telemedicine startup AmericanWell to offer patients access to doctors through videoconferencing
• At-home tools for capturing clinical data allows doctors to extend the range of conditions that can be treated with virtual consultations
• MedWand is a device that lets doctors remotely measure the heart rate and oxygen levels, and examine eyes, ears and throat
• Patients with difficult-to-diagnose conditions use CrowdMed which uses crowdsourcing to solve tough medical cases

Blockchain Technology

• Securely communicates sensitive data among a network of parties such as researchers, doctors and patients

mHealth

• Mobile phone applications are being used to make health care more easily accessible
• It can be an app reminding the user of a doctor's appointment or when to take a pill, or a portable device that measures a person's heart rate on the go
• It implies real-time access that supports patient engagement
• Patients who have difficulties reaching a medical facility can get more timely and convenient support when needed

Telehealth

• Telehealth makes it possible for doctors to reach a larger number of patients and can help manage chronic conditions without having to visit the doctor every time the patient encounters a trivial problem