The Tech Behind the Social Dilemma, but for Good.

By now, you've seen the Netflix documentary, "The Social Dilemma". You've responded by turning off and swearing off your phone for a full 7 minutes. You've "unplugged" by deleting an app or two that you never used anyway. You've told your friends (through social media of course!) how dangerous and deceptive modern technology can be.

It's not lost on me that I'm writing this on LinkedIn and may be "rewarded" by the algorithm with likes and comments that will increase the ability for others, including you, to see it.

I'm here to talk about the hopeful and healthier future I saw in the documentary.

Hear me out:

If we believe that the technology behind everyday platforms is capable of making us change our behavior in negative ways, we have to believe that it's possible it can cause us to change our behavior in positive ways.

The basic premise is the algorithms choosing what content to show us, along with when and where to show us, are capable of causing us to become more depressed, more likely to have narrow views of the world around us, and even to change the outcomes of who we vote for and why.

My thought is, can't we use this same power for good?

Can't we use this incredible, thought-and-behavior-shaping technology to improve desire of and access to healthy foods?

Can't we use this same power to know who is crying out for help and to get them the right help at the right time?

I believe so, and I believe the future of our healthcare system and the future of our overall health depend on our ability to use algorithms to personalize experiences in ways that cause behavior change toward better health.

Right now, Amazon knows at what point I fell asleep during the last movie I was watching, what music I like and at what time of day I normally listen to it, most of what I ate for Thanksgiving dinner, and can take a pretty informed guess at the categories and products I'm most likely to purchase in the next 6 weeks.

My doctor or insurer on the other hand has NO IDEA that I searched for "find a therapist, I'm struggling with my mental health" 500 times within a 5-minute period on their websites as a test of their personalization capabilities. (Serious note: I'm fortunate to be in a great place mentally and am not in need of services, if you do need help please use the resources available to you and text "helpline" to 898211 or call 800-684-2324).

Platforms can get us to spend recklessly on modern-day infomercials but the health care system can't get us to eat more carrots and exercise 3x a week?

As a patient/member experience-focused leader in several hospitals and health plans, I heard from individuals, focus groups and surveys there are a few moments that "really" matter along health journeys:

• Choosing a Primary Care Physician or Selecting a Specialist
• Choosing a Health Plan Product (there are something like 4,000+ different Medicare Plan options nationwide).
• Being Diagnosed with a Serious Illness
• Managing a Chronic Condition (or multiple chronic conditions)
• Understanding and Paying Bills

As healthcare leaders, we have an opportunity to get closer to those creating the algorithms and using personalization tech to co-create solutions to improve experiences in these all-important moments.

I imagine a (soon-to-be) future where if you type in "Knee Doctor" you get results based on Doctor's who've best treated people who look like you, with similar conditions to you, and who meet your timing/location/affordability options. If you misspell their name or don't know what Orthopedics or Otolaryngology is, helpful features like "is this what you're looking for?" in plain English or your preferred language, chatbots, or even real live chat agents pop up to help.

Maybe we don't unplug the technology from the social networks and everyday platforms in our lives.

Maybe we just plug it in to the healthcare system and the health policy systems that can get us to a healthier future :)

Let me know what you think, how is your organization using personalization tech for a healthier future?