Engaging Health Care Users: A Framework for Healthy Individuals and Communities

In 2012 the AHA Committee on Research focused on actively engaging health care users to improve outcomes and reduce health care costs.The committee developed this report advocating hospitals to become more “activist” in their orientation and move “upstream”—that is, to do more to engage patients and intervene earlier in the disease states. It addresses all each aspect of the health care continuum.

• Individual: The aim is to increase the skills, knowledge and understanding of patients and families about what to expect when receiving care.
• Health Care Team: The focus is to promote shared understanding of expectations among patients and providers when seeking care.
• Organization: The objective is to encourage partnerships and integrate the patient and family perspective into all aspects of hospital operations.
• Community: The emphasis is to expand the focus beyond the hospital setting and find opportunities to improve overall community health.

View the slide presentation.