80% of outcomes are determined by nonclinical factors.* In other words, health is affected by a myriad of factors that often happen at home, in between healthcare encounters.
Many healthcare organizations acknowledge that people need more holistic support to improve their health—but few are able to put effective practices in place. We’ve observed that many organizations organize their teams around particular conditions, or have invested in multiple point solutions that can overwhelm patients, such as wellness programs, condition-specific apps, or texting services.
But it’s possible for organizations to enact practices that support the whole person, and in so doing improve the patient experience and demonstrate value in a competitive market. The following manageable tactics can help you effectively support the comprehensive needs of your patients:
Provide omnichannel engagement
- Deliver health support through a combination of phone calls, messaging, apps, web, and video chat so patients can choose the method that meets their needs in the moment
- Provide opportunities for more frequent support and guidance rather than intermittent calls
Meet both clinical and social healthcare needs
- Form integrated, multidisciplinary clinical teams, instead of structuring teams by disease state
- Form integrated, multidisciplinary clinical teams, instead of structuring teams by disease state
- Offer a broad range of clinical programs in a single solution to support multiple chronic conditions like diabetes, COPD, asthma, and more, as well as transitional care and behavioral health
- Avoid treating diseases independently of one another, as one in four Americans have multiple chronic conditions**
- Address lifestyle and socioeconomic factors that are critical to improving health
- Utilize interactive surveys to screen for social determinant needs such as transportation, financial concerns, social support, and safety
- Deliver personalized health education tailored to social and lifestyle needs, within the context of their clinical needs, so the patient can visualize how therapeutic lifestyle changes can have a positive, direct impact on health
- Deliver health education content at a fourth-grade reading level for broad accessibility
1 in 4 Americans have multiple chronic conditions**
“Utilize interactive surveys to screen for social determinant needs such as transportation, financial concerns, social support, and safety”
Deliver a personalized experience to meet patients on their own terms
- Adjust clinical programs to meet the unique needs of each patient
- Provide daily, long-term support rather than intermittent outreach
- Demonstrate upfront value to patients, making it easier for care managers to hold patients accountable for reaching their health goals, scheduling follow-up appointments, and closing care gaps
*Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
**Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.