One of the most notable transformations in the current healthcare landscape revolves around patients and their growing involvement in their own care. Twenty years ago, a patient walking into a doctor’s office for treatment might have accepted the proposed care plan without question or complaint—trusting completely in their physician’s knowledge and expertise.
Today, patients are no longer passive recipients of care. They are increasingly taking charge of their health with the help of personal health data, remote patient monitoring tools, apps, online resources, and more.
Known as being a proactive patient, this approach focuses on how patients can become active partners in their healthcare journey guided by technology and data. Proactive patients can track trends, identify risk factors for chronic conditions, and use these insights to make informed decisions about their lifestyle choices.
And doctors are responding to this relatively new shift in kind, moving toward a patient-centric approach to care—a collaborative partnership where the doctor considers the patient’s goals, preferences, and values when making treatment decisions.
This trend, however, raises some interesting questions. What are the benefits of patients becoming more involved in their care? And, perhaps more importantly, what are the risks?
The benefits of the proactive patient
The potential benefits of patient involvement in healthcare are significant. Namely:
- Patient empowerment
- Improved communication
- Greater self-care between visits
Patient empowerment
Studies have shown that patients engaged in their care experience better health outcomes. This translates to improved medication adherence, particularly for chronic conditions, and potentially fewer hospital admissions.
Furthermore, increased patient involvement leads to greater satisfaction with care. When patients feel empowered and informed about their health, they tend to be more invested in the process and have a greater sense of control. This can lead to a more positive healthcare experience overall.
Improved communication
When patients come to consultations armed with their health data, they can have more productive conversations with their doctors. More active patients are more likely to ask questions regarding their treatment and voice their concerns. Doctors, in turn, can then tailor their explanations to the patient’s level of understanding to ensure everyone is on the same page, or adjust the care plan to accommodate the patients’ wishes.
Greater self-care between visits
The health data proactive patients collect also allows them to become more proactive in managing their health between doctor visits. By tracking health metrics relevant to the patient, they can identify problems earlier and act before conditions worsen.
For example, using a sleep tracker could reveal underlying health issues like sleep apnea. Similarly, fitness bands can monitor heart rate, fitness activity, calories burned, and other data points to possibly identify early signs of cardiovascular disease.
The risks of being a proactive patient
The rise of the proactive patient also presents some risks. Generally, not everyone has the desire or capacity to be deeply involved in their care. An overwhelming amount of health data could be confusing or anxiety-inducing for some individuals, possibly causing more harm than good.
Let’s dive deeper into the potential risks associated with patients trying to be more involved in their care:
Data misinterpretation
Simply put, most patients don’t have the same medical background, experience, and expertise that a nurse, doctor, or surgeon has. Individuals monitoring their own health and tracking metrics may misinterpret fluctuations in the data or confuse correlations with causations. This could be harmful, or even dangerous should the patient pursue over-the-counter medication, or treatments intended to address conditions that may not be present.
This is why data and health literacy are so important for patients looking to be effective participants in their care. Educational resources and consultations with healthcare professionals can equip patients with the knowledge they need to understand their data in the proper context. And doctors can help patients differentiate between normal variations and potential health concerns.
Access and inequity
Unfortunately, not all patients have equal access to the resources needed to be a fully engaged proactive patient. Socioeconomic factors can play a significant role. Patients from lower-income backgrounds may not be able to afford wearable devices or health apps. Additionally, some patients may lack the digital literacy skills or internet access required to utilize these tools effectively.
To combat this problem, healthcare organizations, non-profits, government agencies, and patient advocacy groups should find ways to collaborate and provide free or low-cost access to healthcare data collection tools and apps. This could also include supporting public spaces like libraries and community centers, providing computers and free Wi-Fi, so individuals without internet access at home can still reach the resources they need.
Privacy concerns
As we’ve discussed in our recent blog on cybersecurity risks for healthcare companies, the vast amount of sensitive health data collected by wearable devices and apps can be attractive targets for hackers and cybercriminals.
Data breaches can expose personal information and medical history, which can be disastrous for both patients and providers, leading to identity theft, ransomware, delayed procedures, and more.
Addressing data vulnerabilities will require healthcare providers and app developers to implement robust security measures to protect patient data, including encryption, strict access controls, and regular security audits.
Learn more
Overall, the benefits of patient involvement in care tend to outweigh the risks. However, it's important to find the right balance for each individual patient. Doctors should strive to provide patients with the information and support they need to be involved in their care to the extent they desire.
If you’re operating in the healthcare market and looking to help empower patients to be active participants in their care or trying to support physicians with the resources they need to deliver better outcomes, healthcare data and analytics can help. Start a free trial with Definitive Healthcare today to access the insights you need to understand the market and the patients, providers, and competitors you care about.
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