Digital Healthcare provides opportunities to be more human
At the core of healthcare is its capacity to view us not just as numbers or cases, but as people with unique lives, needs, and experiences. There’s a basic expectation that our healthcare system sees us for who we are and follows our health over time. This is why forming a primary connection with our public healthcare system is crucial, a topic we’ve previously touched upon. A recent discussion brought up a concern many share: the worry that digital healthcare will remove the human touch from patient care. Yet, from our work with health clients, we’ve learned that digital tools can not only make healthcare more efficient and accessible, they offer significant opportunities to deliver ever-greater patient-centered care.
Optimizing Patient Care with Digital Health
Consider our rebranding project with Dialogue, which has become Canada’s leading telemedicine provider. Early critiques targeted their use of AI for patient intake, suggesting that a personal touch right from the start is better. However, this view overlooks the inefficiency and expense of manually handling patient inquiries, which ultimately impacts the dollars available for direct patient care.
Dialogue’s efficient, automated onboarding helps doctors prepare better for each session, making the time spent with patients more focused and personal. Choosing AI was a strategic move to allocate maximum resources to direct care, enhancing the overall doctor-patient interaction.
Opening New Possibilities
Digital healthcare doesn’t just save time for care; it also paves the way for new approaches to disease management and prevention. We recently had the privilege of working on a major announcement involving Toronto’s SickKids and Montreal’s CHU Sainte-Justine hospitals. Aided by a $50 million investment from the Azrieli Foundation, these hospitals are redefining pediatric care. Their pioneering work, powered by cutting-edge tech and a deep understanding of each child’s needs, promises a future where healthcare is as personalized as each child’s DNA.
The Innovation Impact of Digital Healthcare
Digital advancements offer massive opportunities to provide accessible, equitable, and timely care. Here are some ways these innovations can make a difference:
Better Mental Healthcare: Digital tools offer new ways to connect patients, services, and health data. They improve access to information, enhance clinical management, and facilitate early intervention through real-time patient data.
Revolutionizing Clinical Practices: Digital health technologies have revolutionized clinical practices. We have seen improvements in disease prevention and management, as well as unprecedented public engagement in health self-management.
Enhancing Patient Safety: Mobile technologies improve healthcare management, access, and patient experiences. Importantly, they are able to reduce hospital admissions for chronic conditions.
Focusing on the Patient: Digital health moves us towards patient-centered care. Services can be tailored to meet individual needs.
Service Design in Adoption: Shifting focus from mere implementation to service design can make digital health projects more successful. We must ensure technologies do, in fact, offer maximum value.
In all of this, effective governance is key. New innovations in care must meet health system goals and prioritize quality, efficiency, and equity.
Digital healthcare is more than just a technological upgrade—it’s a way to bring us closer to the heart of what care should be: personal, empathetic, and focused on individual needs.
If you are interested in learning about some of the amazing young companies working on improving the delivery of healthcare, visit one of our longstanding client partners – the Creative Destruction Lab. You will be amazed.
And if you are an innovator working in the digital healthcare space, we’d love to help. Get in touch.
