Do we really understand what patients need?

There has been quite a bit of buzz in recent years about the concept of patient-centric care. But what do we actually mean? In essence, it’s coming around to what consumer industries have always held true: that on top of providing superior service, an engaging and personal experience is key to success.

Healthcare has been largely based on a brick and mortar infrastructure. We have built hospitals and expected our patients to come to us, wait for their appointment and be dependent on their doctor as their main source of information about their health. Now we increasingly provide care in a variety of settings, with more and more procedures moving to outpatient settings. We use technology to support a better, more efficient experience and to empower consumers to take control of their own health, with access to more personalized information than ever before.

The goal of patient-centric care is to combine clinical expertise, technology, design and people research to improve the overall care experience. At the same time this creates more streamlined care operations and better patient outcomes. The transformation to patient-centric care typically starts with a deep understanding of the patient population. From these insights you can map the patient health journey and the associated clinical pathways for key patient segments with similar needs.

Recently we embarked on a journey with the historic San Giovanni Calibita Fatebenefratelli Hospital to redesign and build a new neonatal intensive care unit which supports mothers and their premature babies. By using technology, design and new ways of working we will provide a safe, warm and supportive environment that accommodates family engagement and reduces neonatal stress.

Let me give you another example. Since 2013, Philips has partnered with Augusta University Health with the aim of improving outcomes, while delivering more efficient, cost-effective care to patients under the Augusta care system. As part of the strategic alliance, Philips and Augusta University Health have worked together to redesign the hospital experience under the principle of patient-centricity.

AU Health has actively invited patients and their families to participate in their care-flow design, gathering their insights to better plan, deliver and evaluate care. This means that patients have choices, tools and a voice to speak up and become fully involved in their own care. As a result, the Breast Health Center saw its patient satisfaction scores move from the 40th percentile to the national top 3 percent.

At the affiliated Children’s Hospital of Georgia, we created a unique family-centered experience through the use of lighting and soft furnishings; helping to put parents and children at ease. These facilities have made it the highest performing children’s hospital in the nation for quality and safety.

For a nurse or healthcare assistant with numerous patients under their care in lower acuity settings, assessments are typically done with spot-checks. We recently piloted wearable biosensors that automatically and continuously gather respiratory rate, heart rate, body posture and detect falls. The biosensor automates the process of collecting the patient's vital signs and feeds the streaming data into the Philips' Guardian early deterioration detection system to provide actionable insights. The software helps the clinician identify significant deviations in a patient’s vital signs and automatically verifies the accuracy of the trend before notifying caregivers of the change. Wearable technology supports both the patient experience and the quality of care.

I am also convinced that collaborative, team-based models that link primary care with behavioral specialists can improve outcomes. A patient’s illness can be made up of myriad factors. Failure to consider emotional health could mean misdiagnosis and misaligned treatment of physical illness, leading to adverse outcomes for patients and, ultimately, wasted time and money. Integrated care is a perfect example of a patient-centric approach that offsets potential human oversight. Banner Health in the U.S. has deployed this model successfully.

"Another area ready for a more patient-centric digital approach is mental health."

In addition to emotional health, another area ready for such an approach is mental health. Approximately one in every five adults every year have symptoms driven by life triggers- for example, stress, anxiety, losing a loved one or relationship and family issues. Unfortunately, our healthcare systems rarely give people timely access to the right level of care. Consumers have long wait times, care is fragmented and expensive, and the overall experience is fragmented. It’s also an area where the patient intake and assessment of the condition are still largely subjective, primarily based on self-reported assessments.

Digital technologies are disrupting the way we can help people with emotional and mental health issues. A compelling example is set by Dr. Anmol Madan, co-founder of Ginger.io. They combine a clinical network with an AI platform to deliver emotional and mental health support. It has been validated by partnering with over 40 health systems in the U.S., and screening close to a million patients with emotional and mental health needs. Through the Ginger.io app people have instant, around-the-clock access to a multi-disciplinary care team, comprised of behavioral health coaches, therapists and even psychiatrists, depending on the complexity of the patient's needs. It enables seamless care for mental health as expert teams are always with you, in your pocket. Coaches will respond within minutes, even if it’s late at night or the weekend.

"Digitization helps identify when someone is symptomatic, directing them to the right level of care."

The digitization helps identify when someone is symptomatic, directing them to the right level of care. For example, the Ginger.io engine can automatically detect subtle patterns, highlighting mental health triggers, in conversations helping to escalate to higher levels of care if needed.

Virtual care brings care providers to locations where or when there is a lack of professionals. Through eICU telehealth programs it has been demonstrated that critical care is dramatically improved if remote monitoring is applied using audiovisual technology, predictive analytics, data visualization and advanced reporting. Experienced staff remotely guards the safety of patients in the ICU, for instance during nights and weekends, when resources are typically more scarce. Research has shown that it helped save lives as 26% fewer deaths occur when this technology is being used and patients are discharged 15% faster. Think for a moment about the dramatic impact such a simple shift in model can have – above all, these reductions in costs allow clinicians to focus on vital caregiving and focusing their interventions where needed.

For too long, we have expected consumers to accept the way things have always been done. With consumers increasingly engaged in their health and with higher out-of-pocket contributions, they will go where they get the best experience and care. It’s up to us in the industry to deliver a model of care that can live up to these expectations. A revolution in technology and design combined with new care models, provides us the opportunity to enhance the care experience, improve outcomes and lower costs. Now is the time to deliver truly patient-centric care.