Patient-Centered Digital Health: Flawed by Design

27 Aug 2015

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by Sean Lunde
Digital Health Lead, Wipro Digital
@SeanLunde

When continued federal funding required that 5% of patients be able to view or access their health records through a patient portal, many healthcare organizations cried foul. Rather than view the mandate as an incentive to provide digital services, healthcare organizations regard patient portals as an annoying, but required check box. The consistent argument is, “We can’t change patient behavior and get them to access their health records.”

I don’t buy it. Patients will use digital services if they’re good. However, they’re not.

Other industries have recognized the value of good digital services. For example, the continuous improvement of digital services by my bank, USAA, is a key contributor to my loyalty as a customer.

USAA, along with the rest of the financial services industry, did not create great digital services by accident. They relentlessly focused on customers and their needs. As healthcare organizations implement patient-facing digital services, here are a few key areas to focus on:

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