Consumer Engagement

What does an empowered patient look like?

They know how to come prepared for their doctor appointments, how to ask questions of their provider, and how to follow their provider’s orders. They know there is a difference between quality and quantity of health services. They know there is a wealth of available resources to help them learn more about an illness, treatment, or medication.

Alliance for Health, leader of the Aligning Forces for Quality initiative in West Michigan, is training consumers to be active partners in their health care through its Consumer Empowerment...

“I met other people with critical illnesses, and I knew I wasn’t alone. Our voices were heard, and we were able to make a difference in how health care is promoted in our area,” said Belinda Wee, PhD.

Wee joined Bangor Beacon Community’s Patient Advisory Group after her positive experience with the community as a chronic diabetes patient. With the help of her care manager, Debbie Grover, RN, Wee was able to get her diabetes under control.

“Because she cared, I cared,” said Wee. “I wanted to serve the community that helped me. I...

Organizations that have patients and consumers at the table lend a valuable perspective to decision makers about the way care is provided in their communities. Hearing and learning directly from individual consumers—and including them as a part of the decision-making process—can provide a unique, personal, and highly valuable contribution to ensuring high-quality, affordable care.

Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) Greater Boston, led by Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP), recognizes the importance of engaging patient, family, and community stakeholders. As a...

“I knew I needed to make a change and be proactive in reducing my risk for heart disease. The exercise program helped me lose over 25 pounds, and my blood pressure is down to 112/65. The personal trainers were amazing. I have more energy than ever,” said Gloria Kennedy.

Kennedy, 53, a Detroit resident and mother of two, is a testimonial to the importance of the Cardiac Disease Prevention Exercise Program led by the Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q)...

High-deductible, consumer-directed health plans currently cover one out of three of all employees in the Cincinnati area. These plans, with their low premiums and minimal charges for preventive care, make staying well more cost effective than ever. On the other hand, getting sick, experiencing an injury, or having a chronic condition can result in significant out-of-pocket expenses. Employees with these plans are finding the choices they make about their health and health care can impact their monthly budget in a big way.

Cincinnati Aligning Forces for Quality, led by the Health...

WellSpan Health, a partner organization of Aligning Forces for Quality South Central Pennsylvania, is expanding an online portal to give patients more access to their medical information. As the movement towards greater patient engagement continues, technology is an essential piece of the puzzle. The online portal is being expanded on the heels of the transition to electronic medical records. 

The portal makes it easier and less expensive for patients to check lab and biopsy results, medications, and immunization records. Patients can also use the portal to schedule...

Patients are the heart of any primary care practice. Patients and practices share a mission to improve patient health—a mission in which both parties play indispensable roles. Three AF4Q Alliances (Humboldt County, Maine, and Oregon) have developed a compendium of resources that details the implementation of patient engagement strategy. The toolkit provides case studies and insights into patient recruitment and training, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and developing a...

In 2010 Oregon Health Care Quality Corporation, a nonprofit quality improvement organization, launched its Patients and Families as Leaders program.  This program provided five organizations—four medical groups and one health plan—with intensive training, coaching, web-based tools, and other technical assistance to help them establish patient and family advisory councils. Patient advisers provide a “reality check” for proposed service changes, much as consumers in other industries help predict the response to a new product and hereby reduce risk of product...

Aligning Forces for Quality in South Central Pennsylvania (SCPA) strives to ensure patients with chronic disease have a voice in local practices’ transition to patient-centered medical homes. Patient partners are integrated into each practice’s team to ensure that the perspective of those receiving care is considered throughout the improvement process—and reflected in changes. Each practice appoints a physician champion to serve as a liaison between patients and practices and review the flow of interactions with patients with diabetes. 

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Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI), a Minnesota nonprofit organization comprised of 61 medical practices, strives to embed the patient’s voice and perspective across the continuum of quality improvement in Minnesota.  A patient engagement program focuses on palliative care to help patients with life-limiting diseases receive the care they want. ICSI identified a gap in communication between providers and consumers about palliative care and has developed a framework to encourage these vital, but often uncomfortable, conversations among providers, patients, and...