Humanizing Healthcare with Technology

Humanizing Healthcare with Technology: Focus on the Human Experience

When considering the aspects of healthcare service to prioritize when evaluating tech solutions, it is crucial to understand that healthcare is fundamentally a human experience. That means, to humanize healthcare with technology, you need to focus on the human elements. As I mentioned in the book “Better Outcomes: A Guide to Humanizing Healthcare”, healthcare involves one person skilled in the art of healing, helping another person on their unique road to recovery. With this viewpoint in mind, any technology or platform implemented should aim for greater access and human connection as its end goal.

Prioritizing Technology That Enhances Human Connection

When implementing a tech solution, whether it be streamlining intake processes or providing more transparency throughout the healthcare process, we must ensure that these tools promote a stronger human connection rather than creating more abstraction. For example, if we were to implement digital patient intake forms or asynchronous communication methods with patients, we need to make sure that at the end of the day these tools are fostering better relationships between patients and clinicians.

We want patients going through this process to understand that using this software will allow them greater access and connection with their clinician than they would have without it. By taking the time to complete digital intake forms before coming into the clinic, both patients and clinicians can spend less time dealing with administrative paperwork during appointments; instead focusing on building relationships so that clinicians can gain an understanding of what’s going on with each patient and develop personalized plans of care accordingly.

Avoiding Tech Solutions That Create Abstraction Rather Than Connection

In contrast to promoting human connections within healthcare settings through tech solutions like digital patient intakes, there is also potential for some technologies implemented within clinical environments becoming obstacles themselves – leading towards increased abstraction rather than relationship-building outcomes.

For example, chatbots or automated checklists may initially appear to streamline certain aspects of healthcare processes for patients and clinicians alike. However, if these tools ultimately lead to a less humanized experience where genuine connections are lost between patient and provider – then they have not achieved their intended purpose.

When evaluating tech solutions in healthcare settings, it is essential that we remain mindful of this potential downside; aiming instead for technologies that foster greater access and connection rather than distancing us from the very people we are trying to help through our practice.

Summary: A Mindset Focused on Human Connection

When considering which aspects of healthcare service should be prioritized when evaluating tech solutions for common problems within clinical environments – always remember that at its core, healthcare is a fundamentally human experience. As such, any technology or platform implemented should aim towards promoting greater access and fostering stronger relationships between patients and clinicians above all else.

To achieve this goal in practice requires maintaining a mindset geared towards enhancing human connection as opposed to abstraction throughout both the evaluation process itself as well as implementation phases thereafter. By focusing on ensuring each new tool added into our clinical workflows contributes positively towards building better relationships with those we serve – we can continue working together towards achieving truly ‘better outcomes’ across all sectors within modern-day healthcare services provision overall.