Health Affairs: New Era of Patient Engagement

The February issue of Health Affairs focuses on patient engagement. “Wherever engagement takes place, the emerging evidence is that patients who are actively involved in their health and health care achieve better health outcomes, and have lower health costs, than those who aren’t. Thus, patient engagement and activation are increasingly understood to be distinguishable factors in achieving the Triple Aim,” Editor-In-Chief Susan Dentzer explains. “The challenge is encouraging patients and providers alike to embrace engagement and achieve its full potential to improve health and care.” Articles in the issue look at the available evidence on patient engagement and health outcomes. Authors also explore shared decision making and the important role clinicians play in achieving patient-centered care. The following AcademyHealth members were published in this month’s issue of the journal: ENTRY POINT: Engaging Patients And Their Loved Ones In The Ultimate Conversation Maureen Bisognano What The Evidence Shows About Patient Activation: Better Health Outcomes And Care Experiences; Fewer Data On Costs Judith H. Hibbard and Jessica Greene Patients With Lower Activation Associated With Higher Costs; Delivery Systems Should Know Their Patients’ ‘Scores’ Judith H. Hibbard and Jessica Greene Patient And Family Engagement: A Framework For Understanding The Elements And Developing Interventions And Policies Kristin L. Carman and Shoshanna Sofaer ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY: Patients, Providers, And Systems Need To Acquire A Specific Set Of Competencies To Achieve Truly Patient-Centered Care Eric S. Holmboe Patients With Mental Health Needs Are Engaged In Asking Questions, But Physicians’ Responses Vary Ming Tai-Seale and Patricia K. Foo A Demonstration Of Shared Decision Making In Primary Care Highlights Barriers To Adoption And Potential Remedies Mark W. Friedberg, and Eric C. Schneider An Effort To Spread Decision Aids In Five California Primary Care Practices Yielded Low Distribution, Highlighting Hurdles Grace A. Lin Engaged Patients Will Need Comparative Physician-Level Quality Data And Information About Their Out-Of-Pocket Costs Jill Mathews Yegian and Kristin L. Carman Focus Groups Highlight That Many Patients Object To Clinicians’ Focusing On Costs Elizabeth A. McGlynn and Steven D. Pearson Survey Shows That Fewer Than A Third Of Patient-Centered Medical Home Practices Engage Patients In Quality Improvement Sarah Hudson Scholle How The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Is Engaging Patients And Others In Shaping Its Research Agenda Gail Hunt and David Meltzer THE CARE SPAN: Default Options In Advance Directives Influence How Patients Set Goals For End-Of-Life Care Scott D. Halpern and Kevin G. Volpp ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY: State Insurance Exchanges Face Challenges In Offering Standardized Choices Alongside Innovative Value-Based Insurance Sabrina Corlette