Tech and Consumer Navigation in Healthcare.

Blog Contribution by NIHD President Anthony Mistretta RN, MS EDAC, Lean Black Belt

When most people think about Tech in Healthcare, their minds naturally go the big 4: Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft.  Many people think about these companies and their focus on data, AI algorithms, health data being collected at the personal device level, and many other “techie” types of impacts.  However, there is a whole other side of how tech is impacting and influencing the way consumers use and access healthcare services across the spectrum.  With the increasing desire for consumer choice in healthcare rising every year, it’s important to understand these underlying influences and how providers, insurers and health systems can and will use systems to navigate the “choice” patients have in their care. 

The Advisory board shared some interesting information in their State of the Industry 2023 presentation at a Leader to Leader Event MillerKnoll held in Chicago this past spring. 

MillerKnoll’s Healthcare Leader to Leader event brings together top healthcare system and industry executives for an immersive thought leadership and best practice-sharing experience. During this year’s event, we explored the relationship between the built environment and key outcomes for patients, staff, and organizations. Leaders also had the opportunity to hear directly from their peers and partners through interactive panel discussions and workshopped ways to deliver future healthcare spaces and experiences that help everyone thrive.

We had a robust discussion around several consumer-focused digital tools and their impact on choice and how they are navigated in the experience.  One example was based on integrating care services into more daily used platforms by consumers such as Amazon Alexa.  The company Tele-doc partnered with Amazon Alexa to offer a series of services such as refills and appointments via using Alexa.  Great convenience for people who use Alexa, however, it’s interesting to think about how that convenience is also navigating consumers without realizing they are being navigated. Another example was used to demonstrate tech’s ability to participate in the price transparency discussion and making data more accessible.  In a growing world of consumers being responsible for a portion of the costs and deductible health plans, consumers are more focused on cost than ever before. Turquoise Health & Clarify Health have created hospital price transparency platforms that allow consumers to see and compare hospital prices.  I ask you, how will this shape how hospitals, health systems, and providers to set rates, costs, etc. as we continue to have consumers more engaged in their healthcare and how they access it.

It is a fascinating time for our industry and the pace of how quickly technology has already impacted the healthcare sector as well as, consumer choice and utilization are astronomical.  Let’s keep the conversation going… how does the built environment play a role in this? How can we as an organization have a voice? 

NIHD collaborates with clinicians, design professionals and industry partners in the healthcare design process to shape the future of healthcare design.