A 2025 viewpoint on The Evolution of Patient Empowerment and Its Impact on Health Care’s Future describes digital health as "a cultural transformation, where patient empowerment has likely played the most significant role in driving these changes."

Healthcare providers must understand what influences patient empowerment so they can create more collaborative relationships with patients. Communication forms part of this process, as patients need access to understandable information to discuss their healthcare.

 

What is patient empowerment?

Patient empowerment involves giving patients the resources and opportunities to participate actively in their healthcare. They should also make decisions, act on those decisions, and know that their contributions are welcomed.

The viewpoint draws on a World Bank framework that defines empowerment around three pillars:

  1. Resources: These include "the tools, the assets, and the information" people need to pursue their goals.
  2. Agency: The ability to think critically and take control of one's decisions.
  3. Context: Which describes "a cultural environment that allows expressing and pursuing desires, including an equitable decision-making environment."

These three components help explain why patient empowerment can vary between individuals and healthcare settings. For example, a patient may have access to medical information but lack the health literacy needed to understand it. Another patient may understand their condition but hesitate to ask questions. Others may be willing to participate but encounter a healthcare culture in which their opinions are not solicited. As a result, the authors state that "information alone is not enough."

 

Access to health information

Historically, medical knowledge was largely concentrated among healthcare providers. However, the internet has since "democratized access to information," including health information that was previously restricted to healthcare providers. According to the article, smartphones have also allowed patients to access health information and digital patient communities "from anywhere with an internet connection."

Furthermore, patients can now collect their own health information using mobile applications, blood pressure monitors, digital thermometers, wearable devices, and other technologies that support self-monitoring. The viewpoint states that these tools "revolutionized patient self-monitoring and situational awareness," allowing patients to bring their own observations and health data into clinical discussions.

 

Health literacy influences empowerment

Health literacy can influence whether patients understand medical terminology, evaluate health information, follow treatment instructions, and make informed decisions. While patients encounter large amounts of health information online, the viewpoint states that patients "still need to learn what to do with it." Digital health literacy can help patients distinguish useful information from unreliable or misleading content.

More specifically, the authors recommend digital health literacy programs that give patients the skills to "critically evaluate digital health information" and their own health data. Additionally, providers must consider "the extent to which the patient should be involved in decision-making" and "the level of detail required when explaining potential treatment options and outcomes."

 

Patient agency and self-efficacy

Another influence on empowerment is agency, i.e., "the capacity to act independently and make one's own choices." This can affect how patients interact with healthcare providers. For example, a patient who is comfortable asking questions may be more likely to request clarification regarding their treatment. Additionally, when patients have access to information, they can better identify problems, communicate their needs, and participate in developing solutions.

 

The patient-provider relationship

In the 2025 viewpoint, the authors describe a historical shift from a paternalistic model toward a partnership in which the patient is an active participant. They note that the doctor-patient relationship has been "evolving toward an equal-level partnership with initial signs of patient autonomy." This change also affects healthcare providers when they regard patients as partners in the decision-making process. The authors explain that “The empowered patient has resulted in new medical roles, such as mentor, guide, or coach.”

For this partnership to work, patients need to ask questions and express their preferences, while providers must easily communicate patient information. Ultimately, “mutual understanding essentially shapes the patient’s satisfaction, sense of importance, and perception of shared collaboration toward a common therapeutic goal.”

 

A supportive healthcare culture

Even informed and motivated patients can struggle to become empowered if the healthcare environment does not encourage participation. As evidenced by the authors, "no amount of knowledge or data will transform anything if it is culturally forbidden to enter the conversation."

In other words, healthcare organizations should encourage patient involvement in care planning, access to medical records, and opportunities for patients to provide feedback.

 

Access to personal health data

Patients must have access to their medical information to understand their health history, prepare for appointments, and monitor their chronic conditions. The viewpoint recommends increasing patient access to personal health and medical data, arguing that "Access to personal health data can enhance self-management and decision-making capabilities."

 

Privacy can influence digital patient empowerment

Increasing patient access to information and healthcare services can also introduce "privacy issues, ethical dilemmas, data security breaches, and the potential to widen health disparities.” As a result, patients may be more willing to engage with digital healthcare services when they know that their health information is being handled appropriately.

 

How HIPAA compliant email empowers patients

Healthcare organizations must use a HIPAA compliant email solution, like Paubox, when communicating patients’ protected health information (PHI). Paubox email uses advanced security measures, including encryption, access controls, and audit trails to safeguard PHI during transmission and at rest.

Providers can use these emails to support empowerment, giving patients information they can access outside of an appointment. For example, using secure email to send educational materials, treatment instructions, appointment information, follow-up communications, and other relevant information.

Written communication can also give patients more time to process information. This supports the resources pillar of empowerment described in the viewpoint, noting that patients need "tools, assets, and information.”

 

Supporting questions and communication

Secure emails can support the collaborative relationship described in the viewpoint, where healthcare professionals and patients work toward "a common therapeutic goal." For example, if a patient undergoes chemotherapy, they may receive secure emails with detailed instructions on managing side effects and accessing support resources, like counseling services.

Paubox also allows providers to personalize their secure emails with educational materials and links to relevant resources, promoting patient engagement and empowerment.

 

Supporting continuity of care

According to The Evolution of Patient Empowerment and Its Impact on Healthcare’s Future, empowered patients are "better equipped to navigate complex health care systems," supporting care coordination and continuity across transitions.

Secure email can contribute to this continuity as it allows appropriate follow-up communication. For example, a healthcare organization could use HIPAA compliant email to communicate instructions after a procedure, provide information about a scheduled visit, or direct patients toward educational resources.

More specifically, if a patient has recently undergone an elective surgery, secure email can be used to send post-operative care instructions, so that the patient understands the necessary steps for a successful recovery, ultimately reducing the likelihood of complications.

 

Overcoming barriers

The viewpoint’s authors identify several barriers, including "disparities in every area of the World Bank's framework: access to health care resources, inadequate health literacy, and cultural barriers and resistance from entrenched medical practices."

Healthcare organizations can use HIPAA compliant emails to address these technological and human factors. The authors recommend training healthcare professionals in "empathy, communication, and cultural competence" to create more effective and supportive interactions with patients.

Organizations can use secure emails to remind providers to respect diverse cultural backgrounds when delivering care. They can also send emails promoting cultural competency training programs to help improve satisfaction with healthcare services.

 

Building a more empowered patient experience

HIPAA compliant emails can improve access to information, health literacy, agency, communication, and healthcare culture. It also upholds the three pillars mentioned above: resources, agency, and context. For example, organizations can send out newsletters with tips on how patients can advocate for themselves in healthcare settings. In addition, they can provide information on how patients can access interpretation services or request a cultural liaison to assist them during their healthcare visits. This can lead to a more informed and engaged patient population, resulting in better health outcomes and overall satisfaction with the healthcare system.

Learn more: How HIPAA compliant email can improve patient satisfaction

 

FAQs

What type of data is protected under HIPAA?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) safeguards protected health information (PHI), like medical records, treatment plans, and billing information.

 

Does HIPAA apply to all healthcare providers?

Yes, HIPAA applies to all healthcare providers who deal with PHI, including doctors, hospitals, insurance companies, and any business associates handling patient data.

 

How can HIPAA email help build patient trust?

Healthcare providers must use a HIPAA compliant email solution, like Paubox, to safeguard patients’ PHI during transmission and storage. These solutions maintain patient privacy and uphold federal standards to help build a trusting patient-provider relationship.