The digital innovation team at Providence is constantly tracking the latest healthcare tech to develop ways to improve your care with more personalized services.
Imagine a world where your doctor can speak into a microphone while summing up your office visit and have the information added to your medical chart at the same time the conversation takes place.
Envision an app that lets you key in your symptoms and then gives you medical advice on whether you should immediately go to an emergency room or if you just need rest and extra fluids.
Picture how useful digital tools could be if they gave you the resources you need to manage your own healthcare by doing things like outlining your treatment plan after surgery or detailing a wellness program tailored to your specific needs and goals.
Those scenarios are not just futuristic fantasies. The experts at Providence are working tirelessly to develop digital innovations that will change the way you access and manage your care. We closely monitor the latest developments and trends in technology and adapt and implement those that will have the most impact on the care you receive.
Here are three of the most exciting advances in digital technology we see on our healthcare horizon. Some are currently in use throughout the Providence system. Others are still under development. All focus on one goal — expanding your access to convenient, high-quality healthcare.
Natural Language Processing:
Natural language processing is a form of artificial intelligence that can process and analyze unstructured data — like your doctor’s notes in your chart after an appointment — and organize it into useful data that provides insights or action items concerning your health.
Here are some of the ways natural language is changing healthcare:
· Speech recognition software makes it possible for doctors to dictate notes verbally instead of them actually sitting at a computer and manually entering data. This frees up time that can now be spent on patient care instead of paperwork.
· Clinical documentation software is under development that pulls data from a variety of sources, like your social media accounts or medical chart, and uses it to make recommendations for treatments or services that address your specific health needs.
· Clinical trial matching is being developed to match patients with ongoing clinical trials and increase awareness and access to emerging treatments and medications.
Personalized Triage System
A personalized triage system records many of the things that make you, you — genetics, lifestyle, environment, overall health, etc. — and uses them to make recommendations about the care you need and the locations where it can be accessed.
Here are some of the ways personalized triage systems can improve healthcare:
· Apps like Providence Health Connect offer a convenient way to manage many aspects of your healthcare like scheduling appointments, finding convenient care locations, and accessing your health records.
· Chatbots provide an alternative to searching the internet for clues to your condition. You put in personal information and answer a series of questions to get input on the severity of your condition and suggestions for next steps.
· Digital tools like Xealth® connect you with the care you need like meal delivery, education, transportation easily and conveniently.
Digital Engagement
Digital engagement post-op gives you convenient access to the care you need by coordinating all the components of your treatment — like insurance approval, scheduling a needed surgery, and outlining post-surgical instructions — and walking you through the process step by step.
Here are some of the ways digital engagement can improve healthcare:
· Digital concierge medical services can be accessed with a wide range of devices including your mobile phone, a digital assistant like Siri or Alexa, or a tablet. Services cover a wide range of care needs like making appointments, asking your doctor questions, or accessing test results.
· Digital concierge non-medical services can be used for services related to healthcare, like arranging transportation after a treatment or paying your medical bills.
· Apps are typically connected to your community of caregivers to keep them up-to-date on any changes in your condition and provide an ongoing record of your care.
