A slew of digital health solutions have entered the industry over the last decade, most claiming to increase patient engagement in one way or another. But to what end are we creating patient-centered care? True engagement means activating patients with the tools to improve patient outcomes and impact hospital ROI.

You may not realize that the earliest versions of patient portals have been around since the early 2000s. As the use of electronic health records (EHRs) increased, so too did the functionality of patient portals that often integrated with EHRs. 

Where do portals stand more than 15 years after their introduction? What value do portals provide hospitals? Are they easing workflows and creating efficiencies, and for what? 

This infographic brings together some of the most relevant statistics on patient portal usage. 

Bleeding gums, sore teeth and nausea ... many pregnant women experience changes in their mouths (not to mention the rest of their bodies). Yet, 56% do not visit a dentist during this time.

UbiCare clients will notice that the content for new and expectant parents in their SmarteXp digital engagement solution now has a refreshed focus on oral health. We've added new content and updated existing information to stress the importance of oral health for pregnant women and young children.

Thank you to our partners at the Department of Defense for working on this project with us. The Navy Pediatric Dentists/leadership reviewed the entire Pregnancy & Early Childhood solution and worked alongside UbiCare's editors to help hospitals proactively answer patients' questions about caring for their own—and their infants' and toddlers'—dental hygiene. 

American healthcare is one of the last industry holdouts when it comes to fully embracing digitization. McKinsey Global Institute has ranked healthcare 19^th out of 22 sectors in its oft-cited Industry Digitization Index.

Even as health systems implement digital health tools and practices, many of these technologies remain separate, leading to a disconnected patient experience.

But there is hope for the digitization of healthcare! Many digital health tools are designed to automatically link information from different digital sources, creating efficiencies that result in a better experience for patients and better workflows for staff.