Balancing the Human Touch With Digital Innovation to Enhance Patient Experience

The COVID-19 pandemic has, in many ways, fostered the long-awaited technological breakthrough many healthcare advocates have been anticipating for years: the acceptance of telehealth and changes in regulation to fast-track and support virtual visits.  

Swanson said the big test would be in the near future when the intensity of pandemic-related social distancing relaxes, and the medical community faces decisions on how deeply they will incorporate telemedicine into their permanent toolkit.

More than telemedicine, Swanson said the healthcare industry needs to consider the connected, and ultimately profitable innovations consumer chains from Starbucks to Domino’s Pizza have made in providing fast and reliable virtual service. She’s even championed the use of voice-recognition devices such as Amazon Alexa to help streamline and personalize the patient experience in hospital waiting rooms.