In Sir Luke Fildes’ 1891 painting The Doctor, a physician is seen attending to a sick child. The backdrop shows a modest home. The doctor is a figure of undivided attention focused on getting the child back to his feet, hale and hearty.
The scene is iconic of the compassion and deeply personal care exuded by the medical fraternity then, when healthcare went beyond mere treatment. It was about the continued personal attention of the care provider. The doctor was someone who knew your family and your surroundings. Medicine was rooted as much in observation and empathy as in science.
As the world went through the scourge of World War I, this model shifted dramatically. The rise in patients gave birth to large hospitals. Healthcare became centralized. While this “factory of care” model brought efficiency and innovation, it also created distance. Specialization of care caused doctors to restrict themselves to their narrow areas of expertise. Convenience tilted toward providers, not always patients. Personalized care, the kind captured in Fildes’ painting, became harder to find.
Today, as the demand for healthcare is rising, we stand at a crossroads. The number of doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals is not keeping pace with the demand. How, then, do we attempt personalized attention in a system under strain?
The answer to this is technology. With generative AI, real-time data, and integrated digital platforms, we’re rebalancing the equation between the care giver and care provider.
Let’s start with Generative AI, which is at the heart of this transformation. Hospitals and clinics are using Gen AI to automate repetitive work. Automating the creation of clinical notes cuts down on paperwork that is otherwise handled by physicians and nurses. This gives them more time for in-person care.
Chatbots and virtual assistants, powered by Gen AI, are taking over the job of answering patient queries from health workers. These bots are also being cleverly used to nudge patients to take their medications on time, act as companions to check on the mental health of the patients, and more. Not only do they lend a personal touch to the patients, but they also provide invaluable insights into patient care to the health organizations to better address healthcare nuances.
What if care providers could get insights into what patients require and when, in real-time? Think of all the timely help that could be passed to patients. Not just that, the timely help will involve a solution that is personalized to the patient. Technology is being used to pull in feedback from every corner – apps, websites, and more. This data is studied in real time to enhance healthcare services.
Traditional therapies have long relied on probabilities across broad disease cohorts. Today, emerging technologies allow treatments to be precisely tailored to an individual’s genetics, behavior, and needs—ushering in truly personalized medicine.
Let’s say you need a flu shot reminder – your care provider figures this out before you even realize it’s time, then pings you with just the right message. Predictive analytics is helping care teams provide individualized care to the population. It gets so personal it’s actually “N of 1”, which is tech-lingo for tailoring outreach down to each individual, factoring in your habits, likes, and more.
“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhuman.”
Dr. Martin Luther King’s quote still represents the inequality that exists in pockets when it comes to equitable access to healthcare. Technology today can pitch in to address this. Think of this – a healthcare provider notices that an app for diabetic patients is not being embraced by the residents of a low-income community. The provider can then roll out educational awareness campaigns that highlight the feature of telemedicine that the app supports. This will enthuse the folks of the community as it saves the patients the trouble of a hospital visit for routine checks. It is a win-win for both the patients and the caregivers.
Healthcare is also tapping technology to rope in the benefits of ‘social care’. Social care — whether it be for housing support, transportation, or food assistance — is being integrated into digital health platforms by healthcare providers. This helps patients in two ways: One, there are no impediments to taking care of themselves as societal support pitches in. Two, medical advice is actually implemented by them for the betterment of their health.
Digitization is also helping bring care to traditionally neglected areas like ‘mental health’. Behavioral health support is increasingly built into digital platforms, making it easier for people to get help early, without the stigma or delays that have traditionally been part of mental healthcare.
Patients today expect the same frictionless experience they get from banks or online shopping. Be it booking appointments, checking lab results, or talking to a nurse, patients look for a hassle-free and smooth experience. Healthcare providers are working to provide patients a continuous, seamless experience across various channels like the website, app, or voice call. By adopting this approach, patients don’t have to repeat themselves or start from scratch every time they switch channels.
Patient data privacy and consent are becoming more important as a result of all of these digital access and data exchanges. Healthcare companies need to adopt privacy regulations on the one hand while also communicating to stakeholders on how patient data will be used. They are making certain that patients have authority over the sharing and use of their data.
Modern technology with AI at its center is creating unique opportunities to approach healthcare challenges in ways that weren’t possible just a few years back. Hyper personalized approach to care, faster and accurate responses, a more humane touch with patients – all of this, along with the ability to reach out to entire populations, can come to be the mainstay of healthcare systems across the world.
Source: metamorworks, Getty Images
John Squeo is a seasoned healthcare technology executive with over 27 years of experience spanning health systems, interoperability, and cloud technologies. As a Senior Vice President at CitiusTech, he leads business development, account management, sales, and partner channels for the Provider and Healthcare Services market.
Prior to joining CitiusTech, John held pivotal roles including Chief Information Officer and Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer at various health systems. He also served as a Managing Director for Accenture’s health strategy consulting practice. John’s commitment to community health is evident through his leadership of a Chicago-based non-profit health charity, which has addressed insurance gaps for over 114,000 residents and was featured in the Wall Street Journal. He holds an MBA and is recognized as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), a Certified Healthcare Chief Information Officer (CHCIO), and a Certified Digital Health Executive (CDH-E).
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