Independent pharmacies are encouraged to apply patient engagement strategies at work and for several reasons.

Patient engagement has three primary benefits that can improve both patient experience and healthcare business success:

1. Enhanced patient satisfaction
2. Improved treatment outcomes
3. Improved financial and operational efficiency

Engagement is contingent on shared decision-making (SDM), which is defined by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) as “a process in which clinicians and patients work together to make decisions and select tests, treatments, and care plans based on clinical evidence that balances risks and expected outcomes with patient preferences and values.”

When there is more than one reasonable treatment option for patients to consider, it is up to providers and health plans to help patients weigh the benefits, risks, and potential impacts for patients to make informed, confident decisions.

A key component for pharmacies in Grand Prairie, Texas to practice SDM is providing their patients with decision aids. These can come in print, digital, multimedia, or interactive ways.

A 2013 study revealed that 58% of patients who viewed decisions aids were significantly more likely to reach an informed decision on their first provider visit, as opposed to only 33% of patients who had not viewed decision aids.

Consult your local pharmacy in Texas whenever you’re taking in new medication.