10 Helpful Patient Engagement Strategies

Better health outcomes. Increased patient loyalty. Higher customer satisfaction.

These aren’t pipe dreams for health and wellness providers — they can result from a value-based care model that prioritizes patient and client engagement. By adopting key patient engagement strategies for your business or practice, you can empower your patients or clients to take control of their health and help ensure a higher quality of care.¹

Read on to explore practical strategies you can use to help boost engagement, strengthen patient-provider relationships and support lasting wellness.

What Is Patient Engagement and Why Does It Matter?

Patient engagement simply means that patients and clients collaborate with health and wellness providers and actively participate in their own care decisions. Patient activation is a key aspect of engagement, referring to individuals’ knowledge, skills and confidence to manage their health.

This is more than a vocabulary lesson, as people who are actively engaged in their own care often have better health outcomes.² Patients and clients who view themselves as active partners in their care know they have a role to play in their own health and well-being — and may therefore make behavior changes that lead to a higher quality of life.³

Providers’ role in patient activation

As people take an increasingly active role in their health and wellness, many are also expecting more from their providers. The rise of healthcare consumerism translates to people expecting their individual preferences and needs to be met in the same ways they experience outside the health and wellness space.⁴

To help meet these needs and desires, it’s important that providers mindfully engage the patients and clients in their care, from initial communication right through to financial conversations and follow-up care. Practices like shared decision-making and personalized engagement can play a key role in this process, helping boost customer satisfaction and patient retention.⁵

However, challenges such as ineffective communication, low health literacy and lack of patient and client trust can present barriers to patient activation and engagement, which may lead to delayed care and poor outcomes.⁶ But with some simple strategies, you can help break down such obstacles and engage your patients or clients as partners in their care.

10 Patient Engagement Strategies

Want to equip your patients or clients with tools to navigate care decisions and help improve health and wellness outcomes? Consider the following patient engagement strategies:

1. Empower consumers with educational content

In a 2024 McKinsey consumer survey, 75% of respondents said they connect with health and wellness content at least once a week across a variety of channels.⁷ Whether you choose to hand out brochures in the office, post blogs and videos online or offer educational seminars and workshops, you can help your patients or clients feel better informed and empowered to take an active role in their health and wellness. Consider providing easy-to-understand, culturally relevant resources on topics like treatment options, lifestyle changes and ancillary services.

2. Prioritize two-way communication

Clear communication can help people make informed decisions and adhere to their care plan, so use plain, simple language to help your patients or clients understand their diagnosis or treatment options.⁸ Keep in mind that communication is a two-way street. Encourage them to ask questions about your care recommendations, and give your undivided attention to help them feel comfortable voicing concerns. You can also use the teach-back method — asking people to explain the information in their own words — to help boost engagement and verify mutual understanding.⁹

3. Commit to personalization

From messaging to care to treatment plans, personalization can be a game-changer in patient engagement. Use data analytics to understand people’s needs, preferences and activation level, then customize your communication and care to match.⁸

For example, you can encourage your less activated patients or clients to make small lifestyle changes in which they are likely to succeed, while those who are more activated may be willing and able to take more significant steps toward health and wellness. These kinds of personalized recommendations may help boost patient satisfaction and improve health outcomes.⁸

4. Clarify costs

In a 2025 Experian Health survey, 56% of patients said they need help from their provider to understand what their insurance covers.¹⁰ This is an opportunity for your office to provide cost estimators for common procedures, offer clear explanations of patient financial responsibility and initiate helpful cost conversations. This type of cost transparency may help reduce stress, build trust and boost empowerment in the patient financial journey.¹⁰

5. Leverage digital patient engagement tools

According to recent McKinsey surveys, 61% of health and wellness consumers preferred to use digital tools in 2022, representing a 16 percentage point increase since 2016 tools — so don’t miss the chance to engage your patients or clients through automated texts, mobile-friendly emails and patient portal apps.¹¹

For example, you can take advantage of secure patient portal messaging to answer questions, follow up on a new treatment plan or deliver personalized encouragement to less activated patients. You may also offer apps to help people monitor their conditions and health and wellness goals, and provide user-friendly tools like online scheduling, digital forms, self-check-in and mobile bill payment. Digital tools that simplify communication and care management may enhance the patient experience and help people stay engaged in their health and wellness.¹

6. Promote shared decision-making

Shared decision-making refers to the practice of engaging patients and clients in selecting a certain treatment path. It starts with providers asking questions to understand which aspects of the problem require action. For example:

• Is increased pain impairing your quality of life?
• Is a change in insurance coverage impacting your ability to pay for the treatment prescribed?

By asking questions to truly understand their needs and lifestyle, you can help your patients or clients feel valued, which can, in turn, foster a strong patient-provider relationship.⁸ These types of conversations may also encourage collaboration and lead to a codeveloped care plan.⁹ The key is to work together to identify ways to improve your patient or client’s situation in light of their individual needs and priorities.

7. Make the most of social media

According to a 2024 McKinsey consumer survey, 43% of respondents reported using social media to find health and wellness information.⁷ Make the most of this online opportunity to share credible information, answer questions and foster community around health and wellness topics. This can be a great way to support your patients or clients by boosting their health literacy and helping them navigate the patient journey. Social media platforms can also make providers more accessible and help patients and clients feel comfortable moving forward with care.¹²

8. Provide patient decision aids

Studies show that for people facing health treatment or screening choices, decision aids can help them take a more active role in decision-making and choose an option that reflects their values. Consider providing pamphlets, videos or web-based resources that identify the health and wellness decision to be made, provide information on the potential benefits and harms of various options and help people clarify what matters most to them. These kinds of decision aids can be a helpful way to inform, engage and empower your patients or clients.¹³

9. Offer flexible payment options

In a 2023 patient journey study by Synchrony, 40% of surveyed patients said deciding how to pay for out-of-pocket expenses is stressful, frustrating, challenging or confusing — and 55% want to learn about payment options before scheduling an appointment.¹⁴ Your office can help demystify the financial experience and empower your patients or clients by providing clear payment options from the start.

For example, the CareCredit credit card is a flexible financing solution that allows cardholders to split the costs of their care into convenient monthly payments. Offering flexible financing options can help people fit the cost of care into their budget and help improve the patient financial experience.

10. Focus on follow-up

Patient engagement doesn’t end when people leave your office. Commit to regular follow-up through phone calls, emails or texts to keep your patients or clients informed and to address any concerns that may arise. Consider scheduling follow-up appointments before they leave the office and calling within 24 to 72 hours after a major procedure. This type of personal attention can help build patient-provider trust, boost adherence to aftercare instructions and improve outcomes.⁵

Promoting Patient Activation

To facilitate value-based care and help ensure success in your patient or client activation and engagement efforts, prioritize strategies such as shared decision-making, up-front cost conversations and personalized messaging and care. By taking some simple steps, your practice or business can help enhance the patient-provider relationship, deliver better care experiences and improve treatment outcomes.¹

Offer Flexible Financing at Your Practice

If you are looking for a way to connect your patients or clients with flexible financing that empowers them to pay for the care they want and need, consider offering the CareCredit credit card as a financing solution. CareCredit allows cardholders to pay for out-of-pocket health and wellness expenses over time while helping enhance the payments process for your practice or business.

When you accept CareCredit, patients or clients can see if they prequalify with no impact to their credit score, and those who apply, if approved, can take advantage of special financing on qualifying purchases.* Additionally, you will be paid directly within two business days.

Learn more about the CareCredit credit card as a financing solution or start the provider enrollment process by filling out this form.

Author Bio

Robyn Tellefsen is a freelance writer and editor with more than 20 years of experience covering health and wellness, finance and more. Her work has appeared on sites such as LoopNet, Beachside Rehab, First Horizon Bank, SoFi, A Place for Mom, American Express, Chase and more.

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