In my position as Manager, Lactation Services at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA, I’m expected to keep the department running efficiently, prove the economics of our efforts and, of course, educate and provide resources for new and expectant parents. This is a challenging task!

In the past year that I have held my position and Baystate Medical Center’s nine years of using UbiCare’s SmarteXp patient engagement solution for Pregnancy and Early Childhood, we’ve learned the value—both figuratively and literally—of connecting with our patients digitally through educational messages that start at the beginning of pregnancy and continue through the child’s third birthday.

First, there is the intangible value of providing health education resources to new moms and their families—helping the entire family feel involved in the birth of a child—and building a relationship between our hospital and these new parents and families in the process.

Then there is the real, tangible value that we can see on paper. 

Your patients are looking for educational resources online.

In fact, about 7 out of 10 (72%) of adult Internet users say they have searched online for information about a range of health issues—especially specific diseases—according to Pew’s The Social Life of Health Information. 

A few weeks ago, we shared a blog post about Choosing the Right Patient Education Systems for the changing digital healthcare environment. We wrote about how the first step in an effective plan for real patient education or engagement is finding patient education systems that will help you connect with patients digitally—right where they are—online. 

Now that you understand the need to connect with patients digitally about their health, your next question is probably, “Who has the time?” That’s where APIs come in.

 

Patient education is no longer just what you want to do—it's what you need to do.

Consider that:

• Healthcare spending is out of control.
• Patients forget 80–90% of what they learn at doctors' appointments.
• ACA mandates that you go digital. 

But how do you choose the right patient education systems? There are so many tools that claim to provide patient engagement. How do you find the one that meets your hospital's needs? Here are a few things to look for.