In years’ past, “healthcare” really involved going to your doctor’s office or hospital to receive care. In today’s world, it means an entirely different and diverse thing. We have access to care via our phones or tablets, urgent care or walk-in clinics, and even with diagnostic technology like continuous diabetes monitoring.
While some of these advances foster convenience, it can also create a very disparate experience for healthcare consumers. Or, as Kelly Jo Golson, Chief Brand and Consumer Experience Officer at Advocate Aurora Health coins it, “discombobulated.”
Golson’s goal, along with Jamey Shiels, VP of Consumer Experience at Advocate Aurora Health, is to create seamless connections. They’ve introduced a digital platform to consumers called LiveWell, which makes it very easy for individuals to log in and perform multiple actions. People can schedule appointments or get a quick care visit virtually. Individuals also have access to health and wellness information.
“You need a recipe for dinner, we have that for you. But, if you need a guided meditation, we can do that too. The platform really starts to create a single destination for consumers. To not only transact with us, but engage with us as well. Not just around sick care, but a much broader look at overall health and wellness,” states Shiels.
How Can You Engage via LiveWell?Individuals don't even have to be affiliated with Advocate Aurora Health to have access to these tools. Anyone can download the app and participate. Another benefit is the ability to log in on any device you wish, whether a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer.
Thus far, the response to LiveWell has been positive—with approximately 1.5 million downloads of the app and about a 400% increase in daily and weekly engagement across all age groups and socioeconomic sectors.
“We know this will allow us to improve health outcomes,” shares Golson. “And for us, it was paramount to understand consumer needs. Understanding their utilization trends and building something that was going to best meet those needs. I think first and foremost, always go to your consumers, always go to your patients, and better understand what they're seeking and how you can best serve them.”
Shiels wholeheartedly agrees and encourages any individual to explore the app’s offerings.
“This idea of liberating identity, it's not just a ‘health record’ app. It's a health and wellness engagement app. It really will help you get better control over clinical activity, as well as health and wellness activity,” he notes. “We're looking at how we empower consumers to live well. Hence the LiveWell name. That’s what the platform is designed to do.”
Listen to the SHSMD podcast about LiveWell here: https://www.shsmd.org/education/podcast