7 Things I HATE about Healthcare and WISH would be like the Airlines

?“All innovation starts with the words I HATE…”said Jonathan Manis, CIO of Christus Health at his September '22 Healthcare IT Congress keynote in Dallas.?The topic was ?“Reimagining Healthcare.”?And his words were simple but also brilliant.?This inspired me to compare my healthcare experience to that of air travel.?So much evolution in the airline/travel industry, yet so much less so in healthcare.?Perplexing.

Here’s my short list of “I HATEs” about Healthcare….7 in total, and 7 I WISHes- related to the change (or disruption) that I feel is needed.?

1)???I HATE having to call a doctor’s office for an appointment or change, only to be immediately put on hold.?Despite having My Chart systems that do that, I WISH I could schedule any appointment/procedure using voice commands- asking Siri or Alexa to do that without the extra wait or keystrokes.

*Airlines give you better info/options to switch, cancel or check in on a flight, with simple interaction with texts and their mobile apps.?They do, however, have notoriously long wait times on their 800 numbers, BUT you generally don’t have to call them.??

2)???I HATE having to fill out paperwork every time I go to a new provider.?Pages and pages of it.?I WISH that my medical record was attached to my social security number and followed me everywhere, electronically.?Why can’t it all be joined so that I grant an institution to the MASTER medical record??Think of the hours wasted sitting in doctors’ offices, filling out countless pages of paperwork, answering redundant questions on ?illnesses I have/n’t had in mine and my family’s history, and other undoubtedly useful pieces of info.?I wonder how many patients or family members complete this accurately, which must matter.

*Airlines have your entire history of travel, your credit card on file, your mileage earned and awards all at your fingertips.?And although you don’t have your history of travel shared between airlines, you never have to completely re-enter your travel information once you’ve created an account- you simply update ONLY what has changed.?They don’t treat you like a new traveler just because you’ve been inactive for the last 3-4 years (unlike healthcare.)

3)???I HATE waiting in the waiting room for 30-45 minutes past my appointment time, with no explanation or apology!?As if my time is dispensable, but the Dr’s time is valuable.?I WISH I could be seen immediately when I arrive, with no wait. If the wait is more than 5 minutes, I would be notified electronically in advance and offered a different provider or date/time slot that works for MY busy schedule.

*Airlines have done so much better in this area; from electronic “check in” the day before, to timely communication of gate changes and anticipated delays, to even cancellations/reschedule options.?While it doesn’t change the inconvenience it may cause at times, it takes the edge off of the experience, helping give guidance, set expectations, and understand real options.

4) I HATE not knowing how much my visit or procedure is going to cost before it’s done, and then getting a whopping out-of-pocket bill.?Wouldn’t it be awesome knowing how much is fully covered, and which other providers are able to give you the same service, for similar/less fees? I WISH a simple, easy to read procedural cost breakdown would be made available before scheduling, and a way to compare costs across providers.?

*Airlines do this- look at how travel websites outline your options for the same date/time/destination of travel, across different airlines.?You absolutely know the difference in the rates and can make informed decisions based on this.

5)???I HATE not understanding the extensive medical codes, diagnoses, and procedural lingo used in the EOB and charts.?Clearly the clinical team can understand it, they’re trained for it…but, as patients, we aren’t.?I WISH these procedural terms were replaced with easy-to-understand language that helps explain the situation and the action plan, in ENGLISH! (or your native language.)???

*Airlines don’t make you guess where you need to go, how long your flight is going to be, the place and number of connections, and where to pick up your luggage.?This may be over-simplifying things…however you must know where you are planning to go and how much you’re paying.?That’s not always your situation with your healthcare;?just because you have pain in your arm doesn’t mean you know what it’s going to get diagnosed as- a simple bee sting, arthritis, or an infectious disease are all very different in nature and in treatment plans.?But in the end, your final destination is still the same- a healthy outcome.?How you get there depends on the intensity of the situation (how many stops/layovers you’ll need.)

6)???I HATE having to see a provider in person for a basic checkup, annual physical, and other non-life-threatening situations.?Yes, there’s Telehealth, which works mostly for “follow up” visits, and mental health.?And yes, there’s urgent care, but it’s still in person. I WISH I didn’t have to go to a doctor’s office for routine things, and most if not all procedures/pre-work could be done from my home/car.?Blood pressure, heart rate, weight, temperature can all be taken via smart phone devices, external devices, and scales.?Couldn’t urine/fecal samples also be sent via mail, for a physical??Couldn’t bloodwork be done at a CVS/Walgreen via a drive through?

*Airlines do many things remotely- including ticket purchase (online transaction), ticket issuance (e-ticket), even inflight movie access via a smart phone.?Sure, you still need refreshments to be served in person by a flight attendant- but some day they will figure out a way to dispense them directly from your seat area.?Essentially you only go to the airline to do the actually flying.

7)???I HATE having to actually go see a doctor/provider at all because I’ve fallen ill.?And this is not to debate the human side of things, but how much of what we’re seen for could’ve been avoided??How much diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and even cancer can be pre-diagnosed early and entirely avoided??I WISH that our health could be proactively monitored, and early indicators proactively used to map out different options to AVOID getting ill, having diseases.?Why can’t wearables help with this??They easily track every step we take, our heart rate, our sleep depth, fluctuations in our pitch as we speak, even voice/language choices that depict sadness, anger, aggression.?Why can’t AI help piece all this together to help diagnose/solve for such chronic things as mental health, depression, and other disorders?

*Airlines mine information about our likes and dislikes, and offer us our “dream vacations”, custom-tailored to every whim.?They factor in time, location, and amenities to tickle every fancy.?They solve for varying companion needs, and discount proactively for early bookings.?Couldn’t healthcare be equally customized, and pleasant??If it was, wouldn’t we want to take better care of ourselves??

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A colleague of mine, Christopher Kunney, recently shared a presentation about AI and Healthcare, ending with a video made by Microsoft in 2011, about the “Future of Healthcare.”?Here’s the link on Youtube- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aKNK7OTHKs&ab_channel=MalaysiaHealthcare Enjoy!

Imagine a world, that’s simple, happy, where your health comes first, and where you have more to enjoy each day.?The patient (not Walgreen's) should be at the corner of Happy and Healthy! The customer is King everywhere else…isn’t it time that the Patient is King in healthcare?

For more on what inspired this article, see my original post from late September ’22 https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6981449827834327040/