{"id":6051,"date":"2021-11-01T16:25:05","date_gmt":"2021-11-01T16:25:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalscientists.com\/?p=6051"},"modified":"2024-02-13T15:10:40","modified_gmt":"2024-02-13T15:10:40","slug":"healthcare-innovation-patient","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalscientists.com\/blog\/healthcare-innovation-patient\/","title":{"rendered":"How can we improve the human experience in healthcare?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nothing can make us feel quite as human as being a patient in today\u2019s healthcare system. It\u2019s confusing, expensive, and a bureaucratic mess. When we\u2019re sick and scared, we put our trust in others, but our current system can leave us feeling powerless. In a way, we\u2019re at our most vulnerable when we\u2019re a patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Digital Scientists, we want to empower people. We want to help fix a broken system. We\u2019re committed to working on healthcare solutions that can help patients, loved ones, and caregivers gain control. And we do this by focusing on the human experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the promise to increase access, improve outcomes, and reduce cost, our firm is all in. We want to work on solutions that help people feel more empowered and help others deliver on that mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Has healthcare innovation left the patient behind?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the U.S., we\u2019ve witnessed remarkable innovation in medical devices and equipment. From hip replacements to MRIs, we\u2019ve accelerated innovation to dramatically improve medical delivery and patient outcomes. We marvel at the speed in which we developed a Covid-19 vaccine, rolling it out to millions of people in a matter of months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when it comes to improving the patient experience, innovation hasn\u2019t kept pace. Consider your visits to the doctor prior to COVID. Has the experience changed much over the decades? Sure, computers arrived, but once they appeared, doctors and nurses fixed their eyes on screens rather than on their patients. <\/strong>The gains we\u2019ve made in access to medical data may have come at the expense of human interaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Healthcare\u2019s shift to the patient experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

But we\u2019re about to see a major shift. Research published by McKinsey & Co. shows that healthcare ecosystems of the future increasingly will center on the patient experience, or the patient-doctor-caregiver relationship. We call it the care triangle. <\/em>By focusing on the care triangle, we can use new technology to connect patients with healthcare providers while leveraging insights from caregivers. Using reliable tools and sensors, we can provide real-time monitoring and insights, at home, to begin building stronger connections. It\u2019s more than just connecting devices; it\u2019s connecting and empowering the patient \u2013 from where they live. Home health is now part of the healthcare experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Care Triangle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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When we think of improving the patient experience, we typically think about the care triangle<\/em> or the patient-doctor-caregiver relationship.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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How our healthcare system fails us<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a personal example. My friend, Liz, is struggling to help manage her father\u2019s healthcare. He\u2019s 92 and blind. Liz\u2019s dad has more than a dozen different healthcare providers. It\u2019s overwhelming for him \u2013 and for Liz. She\u2019s trying to juggle different systems, calendars, and apps. Overlapping apps and tools don’t provide a seamless exchange of information or come close to interoperability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liz has a limited view of her father\u2019s personal health data. Each doctor provides only a slice of the full picture. For Liz to help her father, she needs tools that can provide easy access and greater visibility to her dad\u2019s complete health picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our team at Digital Scientists has begun building solutions that provide this visibility, helping to empower our loved ones. We put the patient at the center of the healthcare ecosystem by creating patient-centric tools that can help people like Liz and her father manage the tangle of complexities. Many of us act as case managers for our loved ones, trying to coordinate providers who don\u2019t necessarily collaborate. It can be a full-time job trying to navigate the healthcare system, and for many in the role of patient or caregiver, it can be a time of uncertainty and emotional turmoil. Now is the time to build integrated tools that can reduce confusion for patients and caregivers, while also improving patient outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Healthcare Ecosystem<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Adapted from McKinsey & Company<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Now’s the time for a patient-centric approach to healthcare<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are four reasons why now is the opportune time for software innovators to sharpen their focus on the patient experience \u2013 and why we at Digital Scientists are committed to driving patient-centric solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cures Act gives consumers control over their medical records<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Until recently, consumers had little control over their own health records and were unable to access them or coordinate medical care between healthcare providers. In effect, information was locked in individual hospital systems. The 21st<\/sup> Century Cures Act <\/em>was enacted to give patient\u2019s access to their own protected health information (PHI).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cure\u2019s Act<\/em> supports the seamless and secure access, exchange, and use of electronic health information. The ruling gives patients access to their own health records while also allowing records to be shared with third-party developers, a major push toward interoperability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the promise of improved, secure access to PHI, healthcare software developers can build tools that will put the patient first, with a focus on providing patients and caregivers with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n