"Why wouldn’t we build our own patient engagement solution in-house?”

It’s a question we hear often enough from hospital and health system marketers that we figured we should blog about it.  

While you could, in theory, build a homegrown digital health tool for engaging patients, it makes more sense to choose a company that has been doing this successfully and proving its effectiveness and value for the past 15 years. Such as ... ahem ... one company I know.

Here are 5 good reasons why:

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. 

On June 26, NPR's Michaeleen Doucleff published Secrets Of Breast-Feeding From Global Moms In The Know, highlighting different cultures' approaches to breastfeeding. What follows is a response on how healthcare technology can make up for what American women lack in terms of breastfeeding support. 

NPR's spotlight on the challenges that U.S. women face when it comes to breastfeeding in this culture is critically important for new moms learning to breastfeed.