Reference no: EM134020140

Question

How does Meaningful Use Stage 2 align with and enable the patient engagement framework Level 3 goals for the provider and the patient? Please provide at least two specific examples.

The Patient Engagement Framework, developed through a collaborative partnership facilitated by the National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC), is a five-phase continuum used by hospitals and other care providers to gradually expand the methods and tools for informing, engaging, empowering, and partnering with patients and their communities in order to improve both the quality of the care they receive and their overall quality of health. Patient Engagement Framework There are five stages to the patient engagement framework: Inform Me: This stage makes it easier for providers to help patients find and understand care information. Engage Me: This stage supports provider interaction with patients to improve care. Empower Me: This stage enables patients to become an integral part of the care team. Partner with Me: This stage facilitates provider-patient partnership through shared care planning. Support My e-Community: This stage expands the network of the patient support to include the community. Let's discuss the stages in greater detail, along with the provider- and patient-specific goals. Five Phases of the Patient Engagement Framework, image described in content on the page Level 1: Inform Me Goal for the Provider: "Make it easy for me to point my patients to the information I want them to access and understand." Goal for the Patient: "Make it easy for me to find accurate, up-to-date information relevant to my health, my care, and my medical needs." Results of Information Most healthcare systems address the "Inform Me" need through their patient and marketing portals. Providing health information through the hospital's website adds a degree of authenticity that leads patients to trust the information and feel more comfortable sharing what they've learned with their trusted clinicians. Even before HIT, progress was made with respect to educating patients at the "Inform Me" level. Tools like self-care handbooks have been critical in helping patients to determine when and where they should seek care, if at all, and to decide whether home treatment and self-care are sufficient to manage symptoms. Examples: Kaiser Permanente and the Veteran Administration's use of self-care books. In some cases, a patient's use of clear, understandable health information has helped the patient seek life-saving treatments. Printed health education materials, in addition to HIT-enabled tools, can contribute to greater patient engagement and loyalty. Level 2: Engage Me Goal for the Provider: "Help me interact with my patients and recommend steps they can take to improve their health." Goal for the Patient: "Make it easy for me to understand my provider's instructions so I can do self-care well."