Prairie Lakes Healthcare System has been recognized for its patient engagement efforts in the first National Patient Engagement Ranking by Becker’s Hospital Review and Axial Exchange, Inc. Prairie Lakes ranked in the top 100 hospitals of the 3,077 hospitals evaluated. Hospital’s patient engagement efforts were evaluated based on an analysis of publicly available data collected by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and use of online tools to engage patients in their own health.
“We strive to meet patient needs across the continuum of care. This means continuously looking at how we can provide the information and tools to support patients in taking control of their own health,” said Jill Fuller, CEO of Prairie Lakes. “We couldn’t achieve these great outcomes without the efforts all of the healthcare providers in Watertown and the surrounding communities who are engaging patients in managing their health outside the hospital setting. The entire healthcare community working together to engage patients is key to ensuring good clinical outcomes.”
Patient engagement is the process by which patients become invested in their own health. Health systems with effective patient engagement programs provide patients with the information and tools needed to take control of their care. Patient engagement is a key feature of healthcare reform.
“We’re excited to recognize providers, such as Prairie Lakes Healthcare System, for their patient engagement efforts,” said Lindsey Dunn, editor in chief of Becker’s Hospital Review. “In reviewing the results, it’s clear that hospitals and health systems are working toward providing more patient-centered care, and we hope this ranking encourages more provider organizations to continue to take a proactive stance on patient engagement initiatives in forthcoming years.”
To determine scores, Axial Exchange and Becker’s Hospital Review evaluated provider organizations on readmissions, patient satisfaction, and the extent to which they offered information and tools that helped engage patients in self care. The full methodology can be found at http://axialexchange.com/engagement/methodology.
“The prior success of our regional rankings laid a foundation for taking the program to a national level,” said Joanne Rohde, CEO of Axial Exchange. “As hospitals adopt health IT to monitor patient data to meet goals and objectives for Meaningful Use and other regulatory requirements, providers, like Prairie Lakes Healthcare System, have found ways to connect and engage patients between encounters to improve patient health and clinical outcomes, while decreasing readmission rates. With the support of Becker’s Hospital Review, the national results gauge the reach and commitment of organizations that do just that.”