The world has undoubtedly accelerated towards an almost entirely digital landscape over the last decade, and the healthcare industry is no different. In the pursuit to provide better healthcare, facilities have begun to digitize their processes. In fact, the pandemic has spotlighted healthcare’s excruciatingly slow progress towards total digitization, making it difficult for patients to access healthcare during the early days of lockdown.
Given social distancing mandates, healthcare providers have had to expedite the shift to digital, turning to telehealth, digital communication and information management, and e-visits to continue tending to their patients. As a result, digital healthcare has skyrocketed in both popularity and demand, with providers and patients embracing the innovation with open arms. However, there is a fear that has underlined similar rapid transformations: what happens to the human touch amid all this digitization?
The Importance of Human Touch
The pandemic has been one of the most stressful times in modern history, as social distancing protocols have left millions of people stuck at home with no face-to-face interaction. As the pendulum swings further into digital care, human touch and contact will become increasingly bizarre and unusual. Experts fear that the healthcare industry will lose the empathy necessary for treating patients.
Researchers have published numerous studies over the last decade, during the gaining momentum of digitization, upholding the power and importance of human touch and empathy in medicine. By physically interacting with their patients and demonstrating compassion, patients can feel less pain after surgery. This distinctly human trait has also been shown to improve survival rates and bolster the immune system. When physicians score high on empathy, patients experience much better outcomes. The simple act of holding a patient’s hand is enough to reduce their stress levels.
Many healthcare professionals wonder if the race to digitize everything will inevitably leave this critical aspect behind with all of the physical touch’s benefits.
Human Contact Will Always Win Over Technology
Even though technology has mainly been a blessing to the world during the pandemic, especially since it is integral for modern medicine, patients continue to prefer face-to-face interaction with their doctors. Mobile apps, telehealth, EMRs, and general treatment technologies have proven to vastly improve patient care and results, although people continue to be wary of AI and other similar technology. They believe that algorithms cannot adequately address their needs and conditions despite the sheer accuracy of computers, further underscoring the fact that patient experiences cannot be entirely digital.
As human beings, patients also have emotional needs, which means that they’ll need comfort and compassion when receiving bad or life-changing news. They prefer to learn it from a living, empathetic individual that knows how to respond instead of an unfeeling AI whose function is to convey information.
Preserving the Human Touch in Digital Healthcare
Given the newness of digital healthcare, providers focus on delivering services efficiently over technology instead of ensuring they preserve the human touch. Technology automates many tasks, reducing the burden on facilities when processing information while widening access to treatment, making it an essential part of today’s landscape. However, it also props a barrier between provider and patient, making the entire interaction feel more like a transaction.
However, healthcare providers can pivot their approach to keeping the human touch while capitalizing on technology’s benefits. They can focus on resolving problems by putting the patient’s needs at the center instead of finding the most efficient way to deliver results. They must also be aware of any unintended consequences of digital healthcare experiences. By prioritizing empathy, facilities can retain that human connection necessary for healthcare while taking advantage of technology’s capabilities.
Conclusion
While the world is continuing to abide by social distancing protocols and conduct most of its activities online, the need to preserve the human touch has become more critical than ever. While some industries can afford to go fully digital, the healthcare industry simply cannot. As such, providers must work together with health technologists to blend technology with the human touch to offer the best patient experiences and outcomes possible.
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