From the July 2016 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Imagine that, during winter, a 2-year-old child with a runny nose cries in distress, tugging at her ear. Her mother wraps her in a snowsuit with difficulty as the child struggles in discomfort. Then come the tasks of avoiding slipping on the ice, getting the child into a car seat with the straps set too tight for the bulky snow suit and enduring a long wait with a room full of equally unhappy children. After seeing the doctor for the child’s ear exam, the mother has to re-bundle the child and strap her in the seat for the drive to the pharmacy, where they wait in line to fill a script and obtain the meds before heading home.
Now imagine the same scenario, but this time with an empowered consumer as its main character. At the first sign of her child’s distress, this woman takes out the otoscope attachment for the iPhone, calls the clinic for instructions on how to gently apply the otoscope to the ear, and snaps a picture of each ear drum to send to her physician. If the photos need to be enhanced, perhaps the process is repeated (and the option of a video conference or, of course, an in-person visit, always remains open). When the physician comes to a conclusion, the script is called in and the pharmacy delivers the meds to the family’s door — where the child has been throughout the process.
In this ecosystem, data — the clinical data of the ear exam, the diagnostic data from the pediatrician, the data on which meds the patient’s benefits cover, and the copay, which can be made online (as well as a recording of any face-time interactions in a video transcript) — constitute a shared language that binds together payers, hospitals, ACOs and consumers. And the consumer’s voice is coming through more clearly than ever before. Providers, including business leaders, need to tune in and listen carefully.
About the author: Bipin Thomas is a renowned global thought-leader on consumer-centric health care transformation. Thomas is a board member of DOTmed HealthCare Business News magazine and chairman of ICURO, a digital business outcomes management organization, where he is redefining personalized care delivery by connecting all stakeholders in the emerging health care ecosystem. Thomas is a former senior executive at Accenture and UST Global, where he launched strategic digital initiatives across the care continuum including providers, payers, medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical and life sciences, federal and state health agencies.Back to HCB News
