When patients turn to AI, evidence-based answers must be everywhere

Evidence-based education helps address information gaps

A Wolters Kluwer survey found that 80% of patients have follow-up questions after a healthcare encounter, highlighting the ongoing need for accessible educational resources beyond the clinical visit. The same survey found that 68% of patients reported that receiving patient education would make them more likely to return to that healthcare provider, underscoring the value of education to support long-term patient relationships and improved outcomes.

Patients often seek answers wherever information is easiest to find. Healthcare organizations can help patients avoid piecing together advice from disconnected sources by providing consistent information that complements care team guidance and is easy to access across digital and clinical touchpoints.

Just as patients need information that is readily available when they have questions, clinicians need educational resources that are easy to find and deliver within their daily workflows. With evidence-based education integrated into clinical systems and EHR workflows, clinicians can quickly identify and share the most relevant content without disrupting care delivery.

Patient education aligned with the same evidence clinicians use can help create consistency throughout the care journey. It gives patients a reference point they can return to after appointments and supports shared decision-making by helping them better understand their diagnosis, treatment options, and care plans.

Meeting patients and clinicians where they are

Patients engage with health information in different ways. Some prefer written materials they can review at their own pace. Others respond more strongly to videos, images, or digital experiences they can access on demand.

As Amanda Heidemann, MD, FAAFP, FAMIA, Senior Clinical Content Consultant, Clinical Effectiveness, Wolters Kluwer Health, has noted, "Healthcare isn't something we do to a patient, it's something we do with a patient."

When clinicians, patients, and caregivers can engage with shared evidence, organizations can support more productive conversations, improve patient confidence in care plans, and strengthen trust across the patient experience.

Extending patient education beyond the point of care

Delivering patient education across the patient journey requires more than high-quality content. Organizations also need flexible ways to make that content accessible wherever patients and clinicians need it, from clinical workflows and patient portals to consumer-facing websites and outreach programs.

For organizations using Epic with UpToDate® Enterprise Edition and the Embedded Video Package, the UpToDate® Enterprise Consumer Education package expands access to patient-facing educational content beyond materials delivered during a clinical encounter.

The package includes a library of evidence-based leaflets, videos, and images that organizations can make available through patient-facing digital experiences, including electronic health records, websites, portals, applications, and outreach initiatives. Flexible deployment options help organizations extend education across touchpoints, create a more consistent experience for patients and caregivers, and give patients self-service access to trusted information they can revisit throughout their care journey.

In addition to supporting consumer-facing experiences, organizations can leverage education already available within clinical workflows, enabling clinicians to quickly locate and assign evidence-based educational materials during care encounters. This helps reinforce recommendations with consistent resources while extending education beyond the point of care.

As AI becomes a more common source of health information, healthcare organizations have an opportunity to ensure patients can readily access trusted guidance whenever questions arise. By making educational resources available across clinical and consumer-facing channels and embedding evidence-based content within clinician workflows, organizations can support more informed conversations, stronger engagement, and a more connected healthcare experience.