Accountable care demands that the system sync with the preferences and choices of the consumer purchasing the services. In order to get to real health value, consumer-patients must make the health care decisions that improve personal health and do not derail personal bank accounts. It was hard to piece these together for the last 15 years. Now, with high deductible plans, more transparency for costs, and on-time digital connectivity, there is less difficulty.
Information technology can deliver the needed information to the patient and the physician to improve not only the likelihood of improved care but also the time-to-achieve the outcomes. Most patients want and need to be involved in their care. There is evidence that giving patients access to their information results in higher levels of engagement and adherence to recommendations. In fact, the latest evidence shows that patients have been signing up for access to their health system portals at a rate of 1% per month for over 30 months.