From banking to retail to healthcare, the revolution in adding value to their customer’s demands has been through providing a personalised service. And as a result, we should be able to provide patients with the same benefits as any other customer.

The healthcare sector has also been paying more attention to it because of a marked shift in patient expectations during Covid, and the fact that they want to have an increasingly active say in the decisions about their health. 

In a highly competitive market, healthcare providers have also spotted the opportunity to increase patient satisfaction by engaging with them in more meaningful ways and providing elevated patient experiences. Avegen believes that personalisation may be the route to that goal.

The benefits of personalisation in healthcare

The personalisation of healthcare has created a shift in healthcare. Technological advancements are driving dissemination everywhere; from the extensive use of data, increased computing power and patient mobility. All of these are pushing the need for increased personalisation. 

But what are some of the benefits for patients?

Move from a ‘disease-directed’ approach towards a ‘wellness-focused’ approach.

Healthcare is no longer about going to the doctor when you are sick. Healthcare has shifted to a more holistic approach, becoming more focused on prevention and wellness. The logic is apparent – focus on health and wellness and take a proactive approach to manage patients’ health to avoid risks and disease.

Personalised healthcare takes a proactive approach towards helping patients become more invested in their own well-being. By accessing complete patient data and a full medical history, healthcare providers can make better proactive treatment plans and take a wellness-focused approach to help patients manage their health better.

Reduce hospital readmission rates

Personalisation is data driven. With access to the relevant patient data, healthcare providers can perform advanced analytics to identify the markers key to reduce hospital readmission rates. Identifying the early indicators of health concerns can help doctors recommend better patient-specific interventions to improve a patient’s prognosis. This helps to reduce readmission rates by ensuring timely administration of the right treatment, taking all health concerns and variables into account.

With personalisation, healthcare providers can improve health outcomes by being able to identify if the patients are at risk for any other condition. For example, a person in need of a hip surgery might not know that they are at risk of developing a myocardial infarction later, especially if they do not present the obvious symptoms. However, by drawing out personalised insights from health data, healthcare providers can get access to such relevant information that affect a patient’s outcomes, and act to reduce any future risk of readmission.

Better chronic disease management and monitoring

Personalisation can also help with managing chronic conditions, such as heart disease. Healthcare applications collect valuable health data that can be used for care planning. This improves the ability of the patient to self-manage conditions. Instead of the illness driving the patient, it is the patient who manages the illness.

Chronic diseases are increasing at an alarming rate, impacting the quality of life of patients all around the world. Instead of relying upon a reactive approach to disease management, increased personalisation allows healthcare systems to shift patients to more proactive ways of managing their health. This personalised approach tailors the right information for the patient, designed for relevance and timed appropriately. It also helps healthcare providers track patient journeys and schedule timely interventions when they are needed and not just when they are mandated by the care pathway.

Find out how Avegen can help your personalise care for your patients

Improved post-hospitalisation care

Many patients, such as those suffering from heart disease or new mothers, need concentrated care once they are out of the hospital environment. We know hospitals and medical centres are often best avoided for vulnerable patients. This is even truer in a world still dealing with the continuing effects of COVID-19.

Personalisation helps improve the quality of care and the entire healthcare continuum. By leveraging the right healthcare platform, healthcare providers can provide proactive ‘out-of-hospital’ specialist care, enable remote patient monitoring and management, track patient journeys, and ensure timely intervention when required. Better health outcomes become a natural consequence of these efforts.

Provide clear and immediate value

Personalisation in healthcare helps in providing clear and immediate value to the patient. It is a clear driver of improving the quality of care. Personalisation helps healthcare professionals engage with patients with contextual and relevant information that is specific to their condition, interests, and preferences. It enables the right stimulus, at the right time, with the right message. They can push timely reminders, help people follow customised treatment plans, and engage them in learning future health management tools by pointing them towards relevant resources. 

A proactive and contextual approach to managing and monitoring health conditions provides clear and immediate value, and creates stronger connections between healthcare providers and patients.

What the future looks like

Many people might associate personalisation with eCommerce sites like Amazon and other such retailers. They love that experience because it is designed with them in mind. However, this technology is also a perfect fit for the healthcare sector. It’s time for all healthcare providers to know how to connect the dots to deliver an elevated and personalised healthcare experience.