Making it easier for patients to receive care from providers is a central focus of the team at Carolinas HealthCare System in Charlotte, N.C. “It’s why we started on-demand video visits several years ago. Geographic boundaries are removed and the patient becomes the location of service, not necessarily a building or office,” says Craig Richardville, senior vice president and chief information and analytics officer. “Patients are measuring us against the immediacy and accuracy of other services.”
To allow patients to be true partners in their care and maintaining their health, Carolinas provides tools that give patients access to their health information and to providers — including schedules, lab tests and radiology reports, physician notes and secure messaging. Beyond openness in providing information to patients, providers stay connected between visits. Richardville says, “We’re implementing an active patient-generated data strategy and a population health strategy. We know that what happens in between visits is just as important as what happens in the visit.”
Hospitals using patient engagement strategies
All Most Wired
Provide secure messaging with clinicians 66% 76%
Incorporate patient-generated data 52% 62%
Share clinicians' visit notes* with patients 40% 46%
Offer virtual care with a physician 29% 40%
Source: Health Care's Most Wired Survey, 2017
