By Brett Carter, Associate Editor
As part of our “Countdown to HIMSS’16” series, we spoke with Bob Rossi, Vice President, Healthcare Sales, CDW Healthcare. We contacted him to get better insights into his organization’s innovative work regarding patient engagement. In particular, we hoped to learn more about CDW Healthcare’s Patient Engagement Perspectives Study. (If you are attending HIMSS’16, you can visit booth #3606 on Wednesday, March 2nd from 2:00pm – 3:00 pm and speak with C-suite executives focused on improving patient engagement.)
Some of the topics we discussed during our conversation included:
- how patient engagement has evolved over the years in healthcare;
- the findings of CDW Healthcare’s Patient Engagement Perspectives Study;
- the need to educate patients with weaker technology skills so that they may truly benefit from IT solutions such as patient portals; and
- the impacts patient accountability and wearable will have upon patient engagement strategies in the future.
(Editor’s note: To hear audio excerpts of this interview, click on the media player buttons that run throughout this article.)
I. Background
Rossi talks about his past roles within CDW. He also speaks briefly about the different teams that he led and the projects they completed.
II. History of patient engagement
Rossi describes how his perception of the healthcare industry has shifted as he as aged. He speaks to how, in general, the need for patient engagement has grown over the years, and how practices are adapting to meet that increasing demand.
III. CDW’s commitment to patient engagement
Rossi discusses the tremendous scope of CDW’s work. He offers his take on the increased popularity of the engagement model.
IV. CDW patient engagement survey findings
Rossi details how most providers and patients are eager for more engagement. However, he states, many patients today say that they do not see their provider’s efforts to create new modes of engagement.
V. The need to educate patients with weaker technology knowledge
Rossi calls for greater efforts for thorough patient education and communication, especially for those patients who lack basic technology skills.
VI. Predictions
When asked for his thoughts about the future of patient engagement, Rossi outlines how patient accountability, wearable technologies and the need for continuous educational outreach will be critical.