How to Improve Patient Engagement in Healthcare?

Improving patient engagement has become a top priority for healthcare organizations across the Globe. From large hospital systems and ACOs to digital health startups, providers now recognize that patient      engagement in healthcare directly improves outcomes, lowers costs, and raises patient satisfaction. Today’s definition of engagement goes far beyond appointment reminders and portals; it rests on proactive communication, seamless digital experiences, personalized care journeys, and data-driven decision making.

60-Second Action Plan

The core challenge: Many systems still rely on reactive communication, fragmented digital experiences, and limited personalization, which reduce patient activation and produce inconsistent engagement.

The goal of this guide: Show practical ways on how to improve patient engagement, explain the barriers that slow progress, and present proven strategies and real examples leading health systems use.

What leaders can do immediately to Improve Patient Engagement

• Define measurable engagement goals (e.g., reduce missed appointments, raise portal adoption, and improve chronic care adherence).
• Map patient segments and behaviors to align channels and messaging.
• Prioritize high-use touchpoints: make portal, mobile app, telehealth, and SMS frictionless.
• Adopt a metrics framework: track portal adoption, no-show rate, RPM adherence, and patient satisfaction.

If teams complete these first steps, the remaining strategies in this article will be faster to adopt and easier to scale.

For teams evaluating technology, Fortunesoft – a healthcare technology leader, offers Patient Engagement Solutions that unify communication, personalized interactions, and strengthen engagement across the care continuum.

Table of Contents

1. What Patient Engagement Really Means Today
2. Why Improving Patient Engagement Is Crucial
3. Benefits of Improving Patient Engagement
4. Key Barriers That Stop Patients From Engaging
5. How to Improve Patient Engagement: 7 Proven Strategies
6. How to Measure the Success of Your Patient Engagement Efforts
7. How AI and Predictive Analytics Improve Patient Engagement
8. Real-World Case Studies & Evidence of Improved Engagement
9. How Fortunesoft Helps You Improve Patient Engagement

What Patient Engagement Really Means Today

Historically, patient engagement focused on patient cooperation – whether patients followed instructions, showed up for appointments, and adhered to prescriptions.

Today, the definition is much broader.

Patient engagement in healthcare now means:

• Empowering patients to take ownership of their health
• Creating two-way communication between patients and providers
• Offering digital tools that make care accessible, transparent, and convenient
• Supporting informed decision-making
• Delivering personalized experiences across the care continuum

True patient engagement means patients are not just passive participants in care – they are informed partners in their own health journey.

Why Improving Patient Engagement Is Crucial

Improving patient engagement is no longer optional; it is a strategic requirement backed by measurable business impact.

For Providers

• Higher patient retention
• Improved treatment adherence
• Lower readmission rates
• Better clinical and financial outcomes

For Payers

• Reduced emergency costs and unnecessary utilization
• Improved quality-measure performance
• Stronger member satisfaction

For Patients

• Stronger trust in their providers
• Better understanding of treatment
• More convenient and transparent experiences

In short, improving patient engagement benefits everyone – clinically and financially.

Benefits of Improving Patient Engagement in Healthcare

When healthcare organizations invest in patient engagement, they typically see:

1. Stronger Health Outcomes

Engaged patients are 3–4x more likely to follow treatment plans, leading to better recovery and disease management.

2. Higher HCAHPS & Satisfaction Scores

Improved communication and transparency directly impact patient experience scores.

3. Reduced Healthcare Costs

Remote monitoring, preventive insights, and digital triaging reduce ED visits, hospital readmissions, and unnecessary follow-ups.

4. Better Operational Efficiency

AI-enabled engagement cuts administrative load, increases self-service adoption, and improves scheduling efficiency.

5. Improved Revenue

Higher appointment completion rates, stronger retention, and ongoing engagement support steady revenue growth.

Key Barriers That Stop Patients From Engaging

Despite clear advantages, healthcare organizations still face system-level challenges:

1. Digital Disconnection

Not all patients have access to easy-to-use digital tools or broadband internet.

2. Fragmented Data

Poor interoperability makes it difficult to present a unified patient history across EMRs, remote devices, pharmacies, and labs.

3. Administrative Complexity

Patients often feel overwhelmed navigating insurance, authorizations, and follow-ups.

4. Limited Personalization

Generic reminder systems or one-size-fits-all education material fails to resonate.

5. Low Health Literacy

Patients frequently lack clear understanding of symptoms, treatment, or expected outcomes.

Improving patient engagement requires solving these foundational issues—not just adding more communication channels.

How to Improve Patient Engagement: 7 Proven Strategies

Here are 7 actionable methods that high-performing healthcare organizations are using to drive results.

1. Personalize Patient Journeys with Data

Use EMR/EHR insights, demographics, medical history, health risk scores, and past patient behaviors to tailor communication and care plans. Personalized pathways make patients feel understood and dramatically increase follow-through.

2. Implement Modern Patient Engagement Platforms

A unified digital front door enables patients to:

• Schedule appointments
• Access care plans
• Ask questions
• Complete digital check-ins
• Receive automated reminders

This reduces manual work for administrative teams and improves patient participation across the care continuum.

3. Use Omnichannel Communication

Different patients prefer different communication channels: SMS, email, mobile app, chatbot, patient portal, or phone. Offering multiple touchpoints helps reach patients where they are and increases response rates for scheduling, reminders, and follow-ups.

4. Improve Patient Education with Digital Automation

Automated, personalized education—delivered at the right moment—helps patients understand:

• Diagnosis
• Next steps
• Medication instructions
• Expected recovery timelines

This builds confidence and reduces confusion.

5. Deploy Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)

RPM improves engagement for chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, COPD, and CHF. It enables:

• Continuous vitals tracking
• Real-time alerts
• Early intervention
• Higher patient accountability

Patients remain connected with their care teams outside clinical visits, improving outcomes and satisfaction.

6. Introduce Patient Self-Service Tools

Self-service options such as digital forms, instant appointment booking, online payments, and insurance uploads give patients control and save staff significant time. Convenient access increases engagement and reduces administrative friction.

7. Use Behavioral Nudging

Behavioral science methods, such as reminders, progress indicators, appointment countdowns, and motivational notifications – encourage patients to take timely action. These subtle nudges can significantly improve medication adherence, appointment completion, RPM usage, and long-term engagement.

How to Measure the Success of Your Patient Engagement Efforts

Organizations focused on improving patient engagement should track measurable KPIs:

• Portal log-in rates
• RPM adherence
• Refill compliance
• No-show reduction
• Patient satisfaction scores (HCAHPS)
• Length of stay efficiencies
• Readmission reductions
• Net Promoter Score (NPS)
• Population health outcomes
• Time-to-response for patient inquiries

A data-driven approach ensures every decision is tied to measurable value.

How AI and Predictive Analytics Improve Patient Engagement

1. Personalized Care Recommendations

AI identifies risks and behavioral patterns and provides personalized care advice.

2. Automated Interaction

AI chatbots and virtual agents handle scheduling, education, triage, and follow-ups without staff intervention.

3. Predictive No-Show Reduction

Machine learning identifies which patients are likely to miss appointments and proactively engages them.

4. Agentic AI Case Examples

• AI monitors patient RPM readings and automatically triggers escalations when values cross thresholds.
• Intelligent assistants follow up with patients before and after procedures to ensure compliance.
• Predictive models proactively suggest care plans based on lab updates and EMR data.

These capabilities improve scale, responsiveness, and continuity of care.

Real-World Case Studies & Evidence of Improved Engagement

Case Study 1: Improving Patient Engagement with NHS Brent CCG’s Digital First Primary Care eHub

Context:

NHS Brent CCG manages primary care for 120,000 patients across 20 GP practices in London. Older individual practice models struggled to keep up with the growing demand for digital consultations.

Challenge:

Small practices faced resource shortages, resulting in long wait times and reduced patient participation in online consultations.

Solution:

Created a centralized “eHub” model using the eConsult platform.

• Online consultation requests are routed centrally for efficient handling.
• Staff trained on new workflows; patients guided through digital access.
• GPs from different practices collaborated to handle consultations.
• Multiple communication channels employed (text, email, phone).

Impact on Patient Engagement:

• Around 75% of consultations were completed remotely, cutting unnecessary visits.
• Faster responses and improved access increased patient interaction.
• Positive patient feedback highlighted ease of access and efficiency.
• Shared patient records across practices ensured continuity and safety.

Strategic Value:

Demonstrates how centralizing digital services and expanding communication pathways significantly boost patient engagement and operational efficiency.

Next Steps:

Ongoing evaluation, with plans to integrate the model into broader extended-access hubs to sustain and grow patient involvement.

Case Study 2: Enhancing Patient Engagement with Intermountain Healthcare’s Partners in Healing Program

Context:

Intermountain Healthcare is a not-for-profit system serving multiple hospitals where patient and family engagement in hospital care was limited, leading to higher readmissions and fragmented care transitions.

Challenge:

Family members were not actively involved in inpatient care and lacked preparation for caregiving responsibilities after discharge, contributing to stress, poorer outcomes, and elevated readmission rates.

Solution:

Launched the Partners in Healing program, which trains family members as clinical care partners during hospitalization, enabling them to assist with basic care tasks at their own pace.

• Bedside nurses introduce the program and invite families to participate at hospital admission.
• Family caregivers receive training and a badge identifying them as part of the care team.
• Care activities are logged on a checklist taped to the patient’s door and documented in electronic records.
• Flexible care scheduling allows families to take control of timing, improving communication and team integration.

Impact on Patient Engagement:

• 65% reduction in 30-day readmission rates for participating patients compared to controls.
• 92% of patients surveyed said the program enhanced transitions to home care.
• 94% of family participants would highly recommend the program.
• Families reported feeling empowered, confident, and less anxious; they became crucial partners in healing.
• The program improved communication with healthcare staff and prepared families for home caregiving roles.

Strategic Value:

Partners in Healing demonstrates how structured family involvement during inpatient care can boost engagement, reduce avoidable readmissions, and improve patient and family satisfaction, supporting better health outcomes and operational efficiency.

Next Steps:

After successful pilots across seven acute-care units, the program is being expanded throughout all Intermountain Healthcare hospitals to embed family engagement into the standard of care.

How Fortunesoft Helps You Improve Patient Engagement

Fortunesoft enables healthcare organizations to deliver modern, measurable engagement using data, interoperability, and patient-centered technology. Our approach leverages Patient Engagement Solutions to streamline communication, tailor interactions to individual patient needs, and foster ongoing engagement throughout the care journey.

Our Patient Engagement Solutions Include:

• Smart patient engagement platforms
• Patient portal design and development
• EHR/EMR integration (HL7, FHIR, CCD, APIs)
• Remote patient monitoring solutions
• AI chatbots and virtual assistants
• Predictive analytics and agentic AI
• Digital front-door solutions
• Care plan personalization
• Patient education automation
• Secure telehealth and mobile apps

What Makes Us Different

• Deep healthcare engineering expertise
• Proven success across U.S. hospitals, ACOs, clinics, and digital health companies
• Full compliance with HIPAA, HITRUST, ONC, and U.S. healthcare data standards
• Experience integrating with leading systems – Epic, Cerner, Athena, and more

If your organization is focused on improving patient engagement, we can help you:

• Increase provider efficiency
• Deliver better patient experiences
• Improve outcomes and reduce cost of care
• Modernize digital health ecosystems
• Build scalable, future-ready platforms

Conclusion

Improving patient engagement in healthcare has shifted from a patient communications function to a strategic cornerstone of value-based care. With AI, digital tools, predictive analytics, and interoperability, healthcare organizations now have the power to create personalized, convenient, and proactive patient experiences at scale.

Organizations that adopt these strategies will be the ones leading the next generation of U.S. healthcare delivery.

Sources

1. For detailed insights on centralized digital consultations improving patient engagement, see the NHS Brent CCG Digital First Primary Care eHub Case Study.
2. For detailed insights on reducing hospital readmissions by involving family members in patient care, see the Intermountain Healthcare Partners in Healing Program.