Health care solution developers design products that make health care organizations efficient and improve patient outcomes – after all, their goal is to make the road to relief as short and easy as possible. However, making a great tool is only one piece of the puzzle.
Positive patient outcomes rely on patient compliance, the degree to which patients actually do what their health care practitioners asked them to do. If the patient doesn’t follow directions, even the flashiest tool or the most clinically effective treatment protocol will fail.
Solution developers have a key role to play in mapping the full patient experience and providing patients with the tools and knowledge needed to overcome common hurdles and maintain high rates of compliance. Doing so will benefit both patients and innovators.
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Step 1: Understand a patient’s state of mind
When a patient starts a new treatment protocol, it can be daunting. This is especially true for patients who have been living in pain for a while and are running out of stamina and hope. If solution developers can understand the patient’s state of mind heading into a new protocol, they can find ways to develop tools that set them up for success.
This might include developing solutions that pair technology with softer tools, like educational materials and emotional support resources that ensure patients are mentally prepared for the new challenges ahead and know how to navigate them to ensure positive outcomes.
For example, a two-week course of exclusive elemental diet has been clinically proven to help eradicate SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) and alleviate 12 common GI symptoms. However, completing two weeks of an exclusively liquid diet can be really hard to do.
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How can we help patients go the distance and reap the full benefits of the protocol? To start, we can use technology to help manage their expectations and feelings around it at scale.
As an example, patient feedback informs us that the first three days on elemental diets are the hardest to endure, as our bodies still crave certain foods and flavors. In this instance, before patients start a diet is a prime opportunity to share a resource of best practices to prepare them, including tips like chewing on ice as a mental “hack” to satiate the unconscious desire to chew solid food. Developers can also reassure patients that the cravings will pass, it will get easier, and that they are not alone.
Sure, a day-tracking app would be helpful for patients seeking to log their days on the protocol. But these tips and motivation will ensure they log more days than they might have otherwise. For patients, the sweet spot would be an app that integrates the two.
With today’s technology, developers can offer a more robust patient support tool that harnesses patient data to walk alongside patients on their journey in a more supportive role, offering empathy, education, and key nudges along the way, all tailored to an individual patient’s personality and schedule.
Step 2: Show up where the outpatient journey begins
The best time to show up offering help is the moment a doctor stops holding their hand. This is especially true for patients who have been newly discharged from a hospital, where they might have received wonderful support on-site, but are leaving unsure of who to call now for answers and advice surrounding their aftercare. Solution developers can fill the gap.
Developers can remove this educational burden for providers by answering FAQs, offering tips, and giving motivation in these time-sensitive windows of impact.
For example, after a few days on an elemental diet, patients start to get taste fatigue and seek guidance on other flavors or ways to consume the shakes. The drinks can, in fact, taste better blended with ice or more diluted than instructed. However, most providers do not know this – and may inadvertently cause delays as patients wait for answers.
By the time patients realize they have options, they may have already quit. It’s the developer’s responsibility to make sure when patients need you, they can find you.
Step 3: Give patients a seat at the table
When designing solutions to enhance the patient journey, patient insights are critical to prevent oversights and assumptions that risk making the tool less helpful. This includes everything from following social media groups and online forums to reading through the reviews, conversations, and comments underneath relevant influencer content. This feedback is all public data that can be accessed for free, outside of controlled research and development.
By participating in support groups and social listening, developers can pinpoint barriers of the patient experience that require additional support, and what you learn may surprise you.
For treatment protocols that are emerging in popularity, such as elemental diets, it might take a while to uncover actionable insights as the user community grows. However, early adopters can be leveraged to identify pain points in the journey – and they are often happy to help.
Developers should also get in the habit of asking, “what are patients saying right now?” during internal meetings to both acknowledge the end user and get inspiration from their experiences. You never know what unexpected insights might change any part of your business approach – maybe you discover an opportunity for a new product or business channel.
Patients can feel alone. They are looking for tools, but they are also looking for empathy and helpful guidance. Developers have an opportunity to become trusted partners in improving the patient experience alongside medical practitioners and increasing compliance. Purposefully engaging with patient communities has a direct, positive link to better health outcomes.
Photo: Tero Vesalainen, Getty Images
Nicola Wodlinger is the Chief Executive Officer of mBIOTA Labs, a company dedicated to improving the lives of people who struggle with gastrointestinal issues, where she envisions a revolution in the intersection of nutrition and medicine. Nicola has launched multiple new brands from the ground up across the e-commerce and digital content space, and has held pivotal leadership roles at iconic brands including Rolling Stone and Us Weekly, where she spearheaded transformative initiatives and built multi-million dollar brand partnerships. She remains steadfast in her mission to ultimately transform the way we approach healthcare through the power of nutrition.
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