Blogs

How to Build an Emotional Connection with Patients

By The SHSMD Team posted 08-17-2016 03:00 PM

  

 

Over the past decade, digital technology has transformed our lives. Today, nearly two-thirds of all adults in the United States own a smartphone. Younger adults—as well as those who are more affluent and have higher levels of education—are even more likely to own a mobile device. Fully half of those who have a smartphone say they “couldn’t live without it.”

While talking, texting, and e-mailing are the most popular features, more and more people are using their mobile devices to self-diagnose on Google, shop for a primary care doctor, and track their health indicators. And that’s only the start of how mobile healthcare experiences will begin to influence our digital lives!

Transforming Patient Communications

If you’re hoping to harness the power of digital communications for your hospital, perhaps the best way to find out what patients really want is to query the healthcare team. That’s exactly what the Healthcare Transformation Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston did in the form of an innovation contest, which is now in its second year. Among the winners was a visit navigator app—a coordination tool for patients who have multiple clinic appointments in a single day.

You, Too, Can Foster Innovation!
In the January/February 2016 issue of SHSMD’s Spectrum magazine, Julie Jackson, managing director of the Healthcare Transformation Lab at Massachusetts General, and Shawn Gross, chief digital strategist at White Rhino, challenge healthcare strategists to “weave a digital communications program into the fabric of an organization.” They share examples of how hospitals can engage with patients in new ways, including a reimagined view of a patient’s lab report.

SHSMD members, read the full article: Imagine This! A New Generation of Patient Communications
Nonmembers, click here to Join SHSMD.

0 comments
305 views

Permalink