7 best patient engagement software in 2024

Patient engagement software is taking the world of healthcare by storm. As the healthcare system is becoming more diversified in terms of treatments and access to medical care, the need for a more personalized, engaging system for patients arose. Paired with the online nature of everyday communication, it paved the way for solutions that we now call patient engagement software.

In this blog, we have outlined the importance of investing in patient engagement software and the details of the 7 best tools you must check. 

What is patient engagement?

Patient engagement is a vital component of modern healthcare and refers to their active involvement and participation, leading to informed decisions relating to their health. Doing so helps enhance disease management outcomes and patient experience. 

A World Health Organization report shows that greater levels of patient engagement in the process make them feel empowered and that they are more likely to follow treatment plans and make healthy choices. 

Overall, higher patient engagement and shared decision-making improve treatment outcomes. 

How does patient engagement software work?

From appointment scheduling to EHR access, patient engagement software solutions enhance the quality of communication between patients and healthcare service providers. Here’s how such platforms usually function.

1. Self-scheduling appointments

Patient engagement tools allow patients to seek appointments through their preferred channel and schedule them based on the availability status of the doctor. It then shares a confirmation message and all the information pertaining to the appointment. 

2. Waitlist management

Automated waitlist management feature that helps fill appointment slots by informing patients about slot availability. This feature also helps healthcare providers avoid no-shows.  

3. Patient chat

Most patient engagement software tools help promote two-way chat communication between patients and healthcare providers. Patients can get in touch with their practitioners anytime from anywhere.  On the other hand, healthcare providers can communicate with patients about the upcoming visit, send medication reminders, and more.  

4. Health campaigns

Using patient engagement tools, you can send targeted messages with educational information, resources, and more, to inform patients about chronic illnesses and encourage them to take appropriate, timely medical advice. 

Top 6 features of patient engagement software

Here’s a list of common features you can expect in patient engagement software. 

1. Patient onboarding

Patient engagement platforms offer quick onboarding to patients with hassle-free registration of their details and information. 

2. Appointment reminders

As explained earlier, patient engagement tools help automate appointment scheduling and reminders. A study showed that appointment no-shows cost the US healthcare system $150 billion a year. Sending constant reminders to patients helps mitigate this cost. 

2. Omnichannel support

Patient engagement software offers multiple communication channels, like video, voice, chat, social media, and more, for patients to reach the healthcare service provider. 

3. Patient portals

Patient engagement tools help patients access all information about their medical history, test records, and treatment plans in one place. Patients can access and review their health data anytime and make informed decisions. 

4. Automated reports

A key feature of patient engagement software is that it allows hospitals and labs to send lab reports to the patients automatically. This helps weed out patient frustration from continuous follow-ups and waiting. 

5. HIPAA compliance

While choosing a patient engagement tool for your business, you must check for its compliance with HIPAA or GDPR, depending on your region of operation. As you deal with sensitive patient data, ensuring privacy is crucial. 

➡️ Learn more about HIPAA compliant messaging right here.

➡️ Find out what are the most common HIPAA violations.

6. Open API

Choose a patient engagement software with open API to integrate the platform with your EHR (Electronic Health Records). Open-source platforms are an advantage if you want a higher degree of customization. 

Top 6 benefits of patient engagement software

While we have covered the essential features of the patient engagement platform, we have listed their benefits here.  

1. Enhances patient satisfaction

79% of patients are likelier to choose healthcare providers offering online support and self-service portals. It promotes effective communication between healthcare providers and patients, enhancing their experience quality. 

2. Hassle-free appointment scheduling

The patient engagement system allows patients to book appointments  24/7. A study demonstrated that 81% of patients preferred to use an online portal to schedule appointments. 

3. Reduces no-shows

One-third of patients miss appointments because they forget. One of the essential features of patient engagement systems is that they dish out appointment reminders via text message or chat.

People normally open 98% of text messages, so appointment reminders help healthcare service providers save costs. 

Appointment no-shows cost the US healthcare system $150 billion a year.

➡️ Learn how you can enable HIPAA-compliant text messaging for your practice.

4. Reduces hospital readmissions

Most of the healthcare management platforms send out reminders to patients about medication, follow-ups, and more. This helps reduce readmissions by 14%, enhancing patient experience and boosting trust. 

5. Promotes Inclusive medical decisions

As patients gain access to complete information and data about their medical history, they shall involve themselves and promote shared decision-making. This way, patients feel empowered, and their trust in the treatment improves. 

6. Enhances patient satisfaction

Patient engagement tools help healthcare providers deliver continuous care and be available 24/7 to their patients. They can also offer educational content, tips, and resources to help patients return to normalcy. 

Traditionally, patients had to travel to the hospital and manually book appointments. Virtual appointment scheduling helps reduce the time and hassles involved. 

Also, with teleconsultation facilities, patients can consult via video with the healthcare provider. This helps patients avail treatment from the bounds of their homes. 

All these features enhance patient satisfaction by removing the stress involved in hospital visits. 

Best patient engagement software to check out in 2024

There are several patient engagement software tools in the market. You must evaluate their features and choose the best one that aligns with your requirements. Here, we have listed the 7 best tools. 

1. Rocket.Chat