Letizia Affinito

Socialize Your Patient Engagement Strategy makes the case for a fundamentally new approach to healthcare communication; one that mobilizes patients, healthcare professionals and uses new media to enable gathering, sharing and communication of information to achieve patient-centricity and provide better value for both organizations (in terms of profit) and patients (in terms of better service and improved health). Letizia Affinito and John Mack focus on three priority areas for actions: Improving Health Literacy (e.g. web sites; targeted mass digital campaigns), Improving Self-care (e.g. self-management education; self-monitoring; self-treatment), Improving Patient Safety (e.g. adherence to treatment regimens; equipping patients for safer selfcare). The authors explain the healthcare context to the digital communications revolution; the emerging digital marketing and communications techniques that enable this revolution and the core elements behind a patient-driven digital strategy. Drawing on the authors’ research and consulting practices, as well as on the practical experience of managers in medium-large companies worldwide, the book provides a proven framework for improving the development and implementation of patient-centered digital communication programs in healthcare organizations. It is an engaging how-to/how-not-to book which includes tips, advice, and critical reviews that every stakeholder dealing with the healthcare system must have in order to participate in the evolving healthcare system and be more active in making strategic patient-centered choices. Socialize Your Patient Engagement Strategy includes interviews with experts and leading case histories of successful digital communication programs in the healthcare arena. While there are books that focus on specific healthcare communicators within different types of organizations, in their book the authors recognize that effective patient-centric communication crosses all organizational boundar