Operationalizing full-scale patient engagement

Making patient engagement feel more attainable

Most healthcare organizations would say patient engagement is already a priority. Appointment reminders, patient portals, after-visit summaries—it’s all there.  But if medical practices had maximum efficiency and operationalized patient engagement standards, then they probably wouldn’t have to grapple with as many missed appointments, unanswered messages, and an administrative staff that is consistently burdened by the number of patient inquiries they have to field.

So, what is fully realized patient engagement in healthcare, and why do breakdowns happen? Answering these questions can be a challenge. Practices must determine how to measure patient engagement while grappling with the role of patient engagement software when it comes to intake, outreach, and streamlining communication. All the while, practices also have to gauge the level of patient satisfaction.

This article explores how practices might look to reinvent patient engagement processes to maximize operational success.

Defining patient engagement

At its core, patient engagement refers to how effectively practices can help their patients take the next step in their care journey and maintain active participation without running into roadblocks. Rather than being passive recipients of care, engaged patients are more likely to take part in managing appointments, reviewing test results, asking questions, and following care plans.

What fully operational patient engagement looks like

On its face, patient engagement includes:

• Digital tools. Patient portals, mobile apps, online scheduling, and bill pay.
• Self-management. Educational resources, reminders, and care plans.
• Communication. Secure messaging, telehealth visits, and follow-up outreach.
• In-person care. Shared decision-making during office visits.

But this list is less depictive of how patient engagement plays out across the different stages of the care journey. Rather, practices might consider: 

• How quickly patients currently get answers to routine questions
• If incoming patient messages are currently routed to the right team(s)
• How many manual touches staff need to resolve simple requests or inquiries
• Whether patients know the next step to take without calling or messaging

Patient preferences vary by age and personal needs. Some patients may favor digital tools and have an established comfort level with those tools. Others prefer more traditional communication. Adoption of AI in software and strategies is also changing how patients engage. All of the above highlight the need for flexibility and consistent evaluation of patient engagement metrics and strategies to help attract and retain patients.

Why full-scale, operational patient engagement matters

Strong patient engagement is directly linked to better clinical and business outcomes. Research consistently shows that engaged patients experience better health outcomes, higher satisfaction, and stronger relationships with their providers.¹ 

Some of the most significant benefits can include: 

• Reduced hospital readmissions and missed appointments
• Improved chronic disease management and preventive care
• Higher patient satisfaction and retention
• More efficient use of staff time and resources 

Understanding why patient engagement matters is especially critical as healthcare becomes more consumer-driven. Many patients now expect to book appointments online, receive digital reminders, pay bills electronically, and get timely responses, just as they do in other areas of life. Practices that fail to meet these expectations risk frustration, disengagement, and lost revenue. In fact, 70% of consumers who switched providers cite access as a key reason for their decision—often tied to convenient digital tools.² 

Still, patients are only one part of the equation. When patient engagement processes and strategies are unclear or inconsistent, the burden shifts to administrative staff. 

A patient who has to wait longer to get answers to questions or lacks the necessary information to take the next step on their own might react by sending persistent messages or calling on the phone. That can create cluttered inboxes and long queues for administrative staff, adding even more work to their plate. 

In a time when staffing resources are a key consideration, this becomes a real inhibitor to practice operations. By the same token, failing to meet patients in the middle and match expectations can result in lost business; it’s a double-edged sword and a fine line for practices to navigate, which is why a fully operational patient engagement strategy becomes a necessity. 

Barriers to successful patient engagement 

Patient engagement doesn’t break down because practices do not care. Rather, this often happens when real-world constraints hamper well-intended processes. Aside from resourcing, here are several other barriers to successful patient engagement: 

Engagement tools that are not connected to workflows 

Many practices have existing patient engagement software or tools. These platforms do not always connect to existing workflows. From an operational perspective, this may include answering messages that require manual triage or patient portal confusion that translates to phone calls from patients. 

Lack of transparency negates easy access points 

Even if a patient knows how to access and navigate patient engagement tools, they might not know who is responding, how long it will take to resolve their issue, or whether their concern is an urgent or routine one. Lack of transparency can result in duplicate messages, burdensome and unnecessary staff rework, and the absence of contextual carry-over. 

Tracking activity over outcomes 

Many practices currently track messages sent to patients and reminders delivered, as they should. These metrics are both factors in satisfying quality measures and can help close care gaps. Still, operational success depends more on issues resolved without follow-up, fewer inbound calls, and faster next-step completion. When engagement is measured as volume instead of resolution, it’s hard to improve it meaningfully. 

An absence of easy prioritization 

Patient engagement is not, and should not be, one-size-fits-all. Questions about prescription refills are different from questions about symptoms or adherence to a care plan. Scheduling requests are not a care concern. But when everything enters the system the same way, teams spend time sorting instead of solving. 

Acknowledging these barriers and working to find a solve helps reframe patient engagement not as a single tool or touchpoint, but as an operational capability—one that requires the same level of critical thought, design, and support as clinical workflows.

Patient engagement strategies practices can take immediately 

Healthcare organizations don't need to overhaul everything at once to improve engagement. Practical steps include: 

• Communicate clearly and consistently before and after visits
• Collect and act on patient feedback regularly
• Offer both digital and human touchpoints
• Monitor engagement metrics and adjust strategies over time

A hybrid approach, combining technology with personal interaction, helps ensure all patients feel supported, regardless of their comfort level with digital tools. 

Key takeaways for moving toward fully operational patient engagement 

As patient expectations continue to change, engagement is no longer optional; it's foundational to the future of healthcare. It's essential to delivering high-quality, modern healthcare. Engaged patients generally experience: 

• Better outcomes.
• Greater satisfaction.
• Stronger trust in their providers.

Looking to continue strengthening patient engagement in a way that reduces friction for both patients and staff? Learn how athenahealth’s patient engagement tools in athenaOne® — from self-scheduling and forthcoming AI triage for routine patient inquiries to mobile access and automated outreach campaign capabilities — can help your organization bring today’s care expectations to life while freeing up your team to focus on what matters most.