Becker's Hospital Review

56 Executive Briefing Jennifer Briselli, vice president of experience strategy and service design at Mad*Pow, concurs. "If a hospital or clinic really embraces patient-centered experience, they're going to empower those clinicians by giving them the resources and training they need to feel comfortable having those conversations and feeling like they've got the information they need to have a powerful, persuasive conversation," Ms. Briselli said. "So, if I'm a doctor and I know this mom is going to respond to this type of message, I'm empowered to tailor what I'm saying in a way that's going to resonate with her." Gundersen Health System, based in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, did just that. By empowering their staff with the education needed to handle patient/ parent vaccination hesitancy, the engagement was tailored to the concerns of the patient/parent. This resulted in an increase in vaccination rates. Promoting vaccination through design may be as simple as broaching the subject of vaccination prior to the visit. The patient portal or other preferred outreach methods (such as videos or mailers) could prepare parents and patients for an upcoming vaccination by proactively sending a tailored, electronic, vaccine- specific alert informing them that the provider may administer a vaccine during the next visit. Making appropriate education available based on previously expressed preferences, concerns, and knowledge level could also help improve vaccination acceptance. If patients are unaware of vaccine availability when they visit their physician, they may feel unprepared when it is eventually brought up by the care team. Presenting information to patients about vaccines before they interact with providers may help overcome this discomfort and barrier to acceptance. "Even if it's just a few minutes before the parent [and] child [go] in to see this physician, it's at least given them a little bit of lead time to get their head in the space where this is no longer news out of the blue," Dr. Bucher said. "Physicians also may not offer consistently strong recommendations for all vaccines and all patients, an inconsistency that could be partially resolved with clear reminders in the EHR," Ms. Briselli said. The Health Information Technology Experience This is an age where you can go onto an electronic device and order anything from eggs to electronics to patio furniture for home delivery. Whether connecting with healthcare providers through the internet or telehealth, patients of all generations are likely to use some form of technology when making healthcare decisions. So as HCD is used to shape healthcare delivery, implications for technology may be considered. Health information technology (HIT) can benefit the patient and provider experience. Utilizing HIT before, during, and after a patient visit can impact the patient experience. Examples of vaccine HIT patient engagement opportunities for consideration: • Vaccination appointments can be made for the same day • Schedule vaccine appointments by email or through the patient portal • Pre-visit vaccination reminders are sent to the patient prior to the visit • Technology is used to educate patients on vaccine- preventable diseases (videos) • Communication strategies targeted to young adults are used to promote awareness of vaccination • Social media is used to promote disease awareness During a telehealth visit, patient is advised of preventive services and scheduled for vaccine-only visit • Portal allows patients to view recommended preventive services, including recommended vaccinations • Patients are reminded to come in for future vaccine appointments (text, mail, portal) According to Modern Healthcare's most recent CEO Power Panel Survey, September 2018, the vast majority (94.4%) of CEOs surveyed said they are making investments in technology to improve patient care. About 97% have deployed mobile apps to engage and interact with patients. Further, 80.6% said they have invested in apps for providers. Clearly, HIT offers many opportunities for innovation to impact population health goals. Call to Action Health system executives have started to re-evaluate how they engage and interact with patients in their care as consumer expectations increasingly demand more personalized and less fragmented healthcare experiences. CEOs are taking approaches to address the new demands, but technology remains a major challenge due to its complexity. HCD is a systematic approach to problem solving that holds empathy at its core and encourages its practitioners to return repeatedly to the context, emotions, needs, and desires of the key stakeholders for whom they are developing their solutions. The tools of HCD, used in conjunction with evidence-based data, hold much promise in providing an optimal approach for advancing disease prevention efforts. The healthcare industry appears to have a disconnect between the industry's goal to improve the patient experience and its failure to make greater strides. Getting there may require a commitment to HCD; however, most health systems continue to innovate for patients, instead of with patients. The potential key is to include patients throughout the development lifecycle; it's not enough to get their input only at the beginning and then at the end. n For more than a century, Merck has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases. Today, Merck continues be at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions and advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and animals around the world.

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