| | DECEMBER 20219CIOReviewTools such as an engagement journeymust be leveraged to understand both the user experience (UX) and the overall customer/patient experience (CX). A personal engagement journey will uncover motivations (whether we are talking about motivations to act or just consider), inevitablydeepen our understanding of what the patient is trying to achieve, and guide us in how technology can serve these changingneeds. Getting to the heart of these insights will ensure that the digital interface is personalized, to be adopted and, more importantly, adapted. Within healthcare this approach is more relevant than ever, in particular with aging patient populations(and associated caregivers)who are getting more comfortable interacting with digital healthcare as a replacement to their routine (eg: telemedicine) vs. a value-add supplement. Crafting experiences that make the patients feel recognized and content that appeals to them will bethe true determinants of success.Use of voice-based interfaces: A major impediment towards "digital empathy" has been the relative impersonal nature of the interaction. The recent announcement that Alexa can Technology is important not just for accuracy and efficiency, but as an opportunity to address core emotional needs from patients and caregivers;speed, timeliness, access to data and conveniencenow be used for HIPAA compliant opportunities changes things. Alexa has already gained traction as a resource in cases of emergencies but can now be expanded into various inpatient and outpatient scenarios. Voice is a natural and intuitive interface and can serve to truly humanize the interactions and establish empathy, especially since most healthcare interactions are conversational and driven by voice. The innovation moving forward will be how voice shifts from a "pull" to a "push."Pull is happening currently with skills creation, but with hundreds of thousands of available skills, how do patients source the tools meant for them? Push skills will help patients access the technology they may not have considered. With their permission, these skills will eventually help compliance and adherence across many states.Learning how to best use AI and machine learning: The use of AI and machine learning in healthcare continues to grow exponentially and will play a key role in driving "digital empathy,"albeit indirectly. With continual improvement in algorithms AI can serve to decrease the time and effort it takes for healthcare professionals to diagnose the patient and even take an initial look at effective treatment algorithms. Providers such as Babylon Health are using AI-based systems to increase the overarching efficiency within the system,leaving more time and opportunity for patient-physician interactions. This approach also enables truly patient-centric and empathy-driven interactions.Whether we like it or not, the digital revolution within healthcare will continue at a feverish pace, largely due to necessity and choice. It will be equally important to ensure that "digital empathy" continues to be a progressive key area of focus. The major contributing factors of the treatment journey (and a positive treatment experience)are the face-to-face interactions,which are more about patient understanding than the treatment itself. As marketers we focus all too often on digital tactics and static ideas, which may not account for patient and customer needs at a more fundamental and emotional level. Success is no longer measured or built upon the latest technology or the most creative approach. Instead, the core of future approachesmust be based on fulfilling emotional and fundamental needs through use of empathy. Ankit Vahia
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