Patient Engagement in an ACO World

By Gregg A. Masters, MPH

Last June I had the honor or moderating a panel on ‘unlocking innovation in patient engagement’ in an ACO World at MedCity News’s ENGAGE conference. Joining me on the panel are: Libby Webb, Director, Product Management, Athenahealth, Lanie W. Abbott, APR, Senior Communications & Outreach Coordinator, EMHS Population Health Management and Colin Ward, MHS, Executive Director, Greater Baltimore Health Alliance.

During the session we discuss ACO implementation issues and how early movers are mobilizing and organizing to drive sustained patient engagement while conforming to a complicated set of ACO policies. Patient engagement will continue to be the missing link in new value-based reimbursement programs until the quality of patient communications leads to consistent behavior. We discuss how new ACOs are investing in benchmarking tools and communications interventions that will measurably improve the quality of physician-patient communication.