DHIS 2021 White Paper
Using Technology to Resolve Patient Pain Points

The Pre-Summit Survey

Pre-Summit Survey Reveals Patients Struggle with Finding & Communicating with Providers

Pain Points Identified in Survey Align with Patient Perspective

In 2020, KLAS published a report sharing patient perspectives on patient engagement technology. The features patients desired most—e.g., the ability to arrange care, find a provider, and coordinate with a provider—are still pain points, according to DHIS attendees.

Summit Discussion Insights

The pre-summit survey revealed that choosing a provider, communicating with a provider, and finding the next medical professional in a care journey are the most important yet most difficult stages of a patient’s healthcare journey. During the DHIS 2021 summit, attendees formed small groups to discuss three different questions:

The following sections outline discussion insights. Questions 1 and 2 elicited similar responses and are discussed together below.

Questions 1 & 2 Discussion Insights

• Healthcare organizations are competing with other healthcare organizations, and vendors are competing with other vendors; as a result, both parties are discouraged from cooperating and enabling interoperability. This siloed approach to healthcare (even within healthcare systems) prevents a seamless, straightforward patient experience.
• Current financial incentives aren’t focused on fixing operational pain points throughout the patient experience, and no party gets paid to own and solve problems.
• The healthcare industry has invested a lot of time and money in clinical technology, but there is a lack of investment in administration (i.e., effective leadership in change management, incentive alignment, resource allocation focused on patient experience).
• Patients don’t know what meaningful metrics to consider when picking a provider, and providers are not using meaningful metrics that focus on the patient experience when they are deciding where to refer patients. Patients need an advocate (outside of the acute care setting) to collaborate with for a care road map, guidance, and information navigation.
• Good companies are discouraged from investing in healthcare IT due to limiting regulations and red tape.
• COVID-19 has exacerbated staff burnout, and exhausted clinicians should not be expected to take on more responsibility around patient communication and care plans.
• Good technology doesn’t always have the necessary visibility and momentum to increase adoption.

Question 3 Discussion Insights

• Patient engagement technology needs to support all types of teams (e.g., teams of clinicians working together, teams of caregivers and family members working together).
• Patient engagement technology needs to meet patients where they are in empathetic ways when it comes to communication (e.g., text messaging, internet connection), treatment/health system discovery, transitions in care, and proactive guidance regarding next steps.
• The healthcare industry has built a lot of technology around IT and clinician needs, but if technology were built with patient needs at the forefront, there would be more helpful tools for navigating care, sharing data, and proactively managing health.
• Portal consolidation would provide patients with a one-stop shop to meet their needs and a single source of truth.
• Organizations could provide a comprehensive, up-to-date, and modernized provider directory to help patients choose a provider and, therefore, their healthcare experience.
• Technology should be used to make clinicians more aware of patient needs.
• If payers had greater access to health app information, they could charge members less, incentivizing patients to own more of the responsibility for their care.
• Technology can be used to incentivize patients (e.g., financial incentives, contests, giveaways).

Conclusion

Healthcare IT continues to face significant challenges, but the desire for stakeholders to collaboratively rise to the occasion is evident. The recommendations provided by symposium attendees represent opportunities for all parties to take steps in the right direction. KLAS would like to thank the thought leaders who participated in the DHIS event and shared their insights with each other and the rest of the industry.

Summit Attendees