Healthcare Informatics and Patient Activation

Discussion Assignment:

It is important for patients to take an active role in their health and healthcare.  One way health professionals can assist with this is to encourage patients to become fully engaged in their healthcare.  Read the articles listed and then answer the questions or prompts below.

  1. According to Hibbard and Greene (2013), patient activation is
    1. Understanding that one must take charge of one’s health and that actions determine health outcomes.
    2. A process of gaining skills, knowledge, and behaviors to manage health.
    3. Having confidence to make needed changes.
  • Explain which of these three characteristics would be the most difficult for you to implement in your practice and why.
  1. Consider what you have learned with respect to policy changes in the United States and the need to improve care and lower cost through the use of health information technology.
    • Give one example of an information technology policy that has supported patient engagement.
  2. Discuss what technology can be used to enhance, rather than hurt a patient’s engagement in care.  Include scholarly support.
  3. Identify a potential technology-enhanced patient engagement project you would like to see in your professional practice. Discuss any potential problems and associated solutions.

At least 2 scholarly sources (peer-reviewed, less than 5 years old) are to be used to support your discussion. Be sure to cite sources appropriately to support your responses with standard (APA 7th edition) citations.