Readers Write: What’s Missing from Healthcare’s Consumerization Conversation is Physicians

What’s Missing from Healthcare’s Consumerization Conversation is Physicians
By Casey Jenkins

Casey Jenkins, MBA is VP of product management for Epocrates of Watertown, MA.

The consumerization of healthcare is a trend that’s spreading like wildfire in the HIT industry. Healthcare organizations are increasingly turning to technology systems that create more consumer-friendly interactions for patients with the intention of ultimately improving access to care and boosting patient satisfaction.

Recent research supports this, finding that 74% of healthcare leaders are planning to invest in technologies that drive consumerization. This includes investing in technologies like telehealth, self-scheduling, text correspondence, online payment applications, and accessible patient portals. However, there’s one vital group that’s missing in healthcare’s consumerization conversation — physicians.

Due to the growing pressure to give patients the consumer-grade experience they are accustomed to in other areas of their lives, the physician experience has been deprioritized as a result. That needs to change, as rates of physician burnout are skyrocketing due to factors like information overload and administrative burden. It’s vital that the HIT industry also prioritizes the physician experience as the trend of healthcare consumerization continues to grow. Physicians are consumers, too – they’ve learned and adapted to everyday technology, and physician-facing technology needs to reflect this shift as well.

There are numerous ways that more consumer-friendly technology for physicians can alleviate their pain points in practice. One way is incorporating more personalization capabilities into the clinical information-seeking process. Today’s clinicians simply don’t have enough time in the day to stay abreast of the latest clinical information and can often feel overwhelmed. In fact, a recent study found that 64% of physicians reported not having time to stay up to date in their field.

Stronger personalization capabilities in clinical information tools can help by providing more curated information that’s updated and relevant to a specific physician’s practice and area of interest. This concept emulates the level of personalization that companies like Amazon, Facebook, and Netflix have created and that we’ve all come to expect across all our technology interactions. Personalization in clinical information tools can take the form of a data feed, much like a social media-style feed, that understands what information a specific physician is researching or seeing in the clinic and then presents relevant information in an organized and logical manner. This empowers physicians to sharpen their focus during the information-seeking process and ultimately make a more positive impact around patient care.

The push for more consumerization in physician-facing technology also includes a need for a stronger translation of science into technology applications to help curb information overload. In a recent survey, 89% of physicians reported that more clinical data isn’t always the answer. The right data at the right time is what is most important. When we can connect the right person and information at the right place and time within the clinician / physician workflow, that is when physicians will be able to provide the best-quality care.

Additionally, the HIT industry can help streamline workflows by putting the tools clinicians need in front of them for a more intuitive, easy-to navigate experience. This includes incorporating more thoughtfully designed interactions and experiences with the tools physician most frequently use.

Beyond that, the HIT industry can turn to familiar user experiences like a navigation bar. For example, navigation bars on social media apps include things like notifications, direct messages, or saved posts. In a HIT platform or technology system, a navigation bar could provide quick access to the key features a clinician needs at the point of care. like the patient’s medical chart or the medical news reel with the latest clinical developments. The HIT industry should lean into what people find familiar when determining how to put technology at a clinician’s fingertips.

As there continues to be a societal shift in what we expect from technology, the HIT industry needs to bring the physician experience into the fold of healthcare consumerization to truly improve healthcare outcomes. Stronger consumerization in physician-facing technology has the potential to reduce feelings of information overload, streamline workflows, and empower physicians to provide the best care possible to their patients.