Online patient engagement tool launched

An online tool has been launched by the Department of Health to enable doctors to access hundreds of pieces of research on how to engage patients in healthcare.

The Invest in Engagement tool, which was commissioned and funded by the DH and put togther by the Picker Institute Europe, analyses more than 280 research reviews.

The research is predominately from Europe and the US and provides lessons learned in six key areas; patient experience, health literacy, shared decisions to choose appropriate treatment and self management, health promotion and public engagement.

Dr Angela Coulter, former chief executive of the Picker Institute Europe, who designed and developed the tool said: “This unique database reveals the benefits that could be gained if all patients were fully informed and well supported by staff so they are actively engaged in their healthcare.”

At the core of each key area is a “what works” section. This provides a description of the evidence with full references and links through to the original research reviews, an analysis of outcomes and a recommendation.

The tool is the first in a series that the DH will launch to help NHS managers understand why good patient engagement is essential for driving up the quality and productivity of care.

NHS chief executive Sir David Nicholson, said: “Patients are at the heart of everything we do. As we seek to improve quality for patients, we need to focus on improving patient pathways.

"Online tools like this one are helping to improve the way the NHS engages with patients and should be a key resource for the service.”