By Robert E. Grant

In the same way technology has transformed retail by putting consumers in the driver's seat, remarkable wearables, robotics and insurer-driven health care apps are undoubtedly giving patients the power to take control of their health, from monitoring their heart rate to addressing gaps in care.

In fact, these innovations coupled with telemedicine – a formidable virtual-engagement trend, promising greater convenience and ease in obtaining health care services – are bringing the U.S. one step closer to a retail-like health care model. But is this really what patients want and need?



At this year's HIMSS conference in Las Vegas, more than 40,000 health IT professionals, clinicians, executives and vendors from around the world gathered to address not only industry best practices and new technologies, but also new approaches to care that would be based on value and patient engagement rather than the bottom line. And it's about time. With the current U.S. model based on fees for services and prioritizing insurance providers and pharmaceutical companies first, patients continue to find themselves at the bottom of a soaring $3.4 trillion industry.

Like retail, travel and utilities are experiencing great success in improving customer satisfaction, utilizing similar technologies that simplify everything – from purchasing to payments. So it seems only logical that by applying the same principles and technologies to the health care sector, the patient experience would improve dramatically. But it has not. Instead, the chasm between patient and doctor has only grown wider. Here's why: Health care is something people seek primarily when they are sick. And it isn't likely an experience or "purchase" most enjoy. In fact, according to Linda Girgis, M.D., author of Our Broken Healthcare System, the average American avoids seeking medical care until it is necessary, primarily because of the high copays and the lack of confidence in doctors. In her recent article, published in Physician's Weekly, she states that the average patient is losing trust in doctors, who [they believe] no longer listen to their concerns nor truly care what they want or need. Girgis suggests that patient dissatisfaction is largely a result of third parties – insurers – which are increasingly dictating the way care is provided and how a patient is perceived.

Underscoring this growing sentiment, Timothy J. Hoff, professor of management, health care systems and health policy at Northeastern University, and a visiting associate Fellow at Oxford University, provides the first qualitative, critical examination of the doctor-patient relationship in his book, Next in Line: Lowered Care Expectations in the Age of Retail and Value-based Health. Interviewing a sample pool of 80 patients and doctors, he concludes that it is the lack of emotional support and customized help that contribute most to the frustration and disappointment most patients experience. More specifically, his research reveals that patients do not want a transactional-type experience if it means sacrificing real relationship-based care. And no one in his study prioritized wearables, web-based symptom assessment or visits to a mega-chain pharmacy over a physical visit with a trusted doctor or specialist. What patients truly desire, he says, is a "long-term personal connection with a doctor ... something human and more intimate," further stating that patients highly regard regular one-on-one interactions with experts they know and trust who are compassionate, empathetic, friendly and respectful.

Health IT Homepage