The challenge of patient engagement, and how to address it

Abstract

Many obstacles prevent patients accessing healthcare in a timely fashion, and societal taboos wreak havoc in healthcare. The fact that certain very common conditions are not considered acceptable subjects for conversation seriously impedes the flow of information. The cost of this to both the health of patients and to the healthcare system itself is tremendous. In the treatment of many conditions, a delay in diagnosis can have a very serious impact on the eventual prognosis, and even with “milder” diseases, a failure to access treatment promptly can significantly worsen outcomes. New channels need to be used to reach patients, and new styles of messaging must be adopted to overcome taboos. An event aimed at highlighting innovative methods of communication is discussed, as is a publication about incontinence that grew out of this to encourage patient engagement.