FOCUS ON CONSUMERIZATION

How the consumerization of healthcare is changing the industry

As digital health puts power in the hands of patients, the nature of their role is shifting toward that of a healthcare consumer. What does this mean for patients? And how should industry stakeholders evolve to accommodate them?

For the month of April, we'll look at this trend from a variety of angles, including how hospitals, pharma organizations and payers can treat patients as customers, and how these healthcare consumers are cutting out traditional intermediaries through new D2C health and wellness businesses.

What you need to know

News

Connecting the dots of health consumerism, digital health, and health and social policy

by Jonah Comstock

In Jane Sarasohn-Kahn's new book, she argues that we must make the move from health consumers to health citizens.

News

23andMe, Michael J. Fox Foundation team up on platform for Parkinson's research

by Laura Lovett

The platform, called Fox Insight Data Exploration Network, is set to combine patient surveys with genetic information for Parkinson's research. 

News

Personalized wellness company Arivale shuts down consumer operations

by Jonah Comstock

The fate of the company's recently-announced research partnerships is unclear.

News

AI triage tools won't empower consumers without mastering convenient, personalized service

by Dave Muoio

Chatbots, symptom checkers and other AI healthcare guidance services should take a page from Amazon and others on to engage users, experts say.

News

Patients acting as consumers, demanding more ease, better tools

by Leontina Postelnicu

Patients are driving a new shift in health care, with expectations for greater access to personalised, convenient services growing. 

News

How fall detection is moving beyond the pendant

by Jonah Comstock

Digital health innovators look to the wrist, the ears and the wall for new ways to keep seniors safe.

News

Best Buy selling Tyto Care's telehealth platform online, in certain stores

by Dave Muoio

The brick-and-mortar rollout is so far limited to the Midwest. 

News

Microsoft will officially shut down HealthVault later this year

by Dave Muoio

Users of the personal health record platform have until November 20 to migrate their data to another service.

News

8 consumer-friendly digital tools to support behavioral health

by Dave Muoio

Consumers have more discrete digital options than ever before.

News

Three emerging trends in consumer digital mail-order health products

by Laura Lovett

Now consumers are turning to the web for their health products—whether it is to get a pharmacy prescription, a urine test or an “embarrassing” sexual health product.

News

To balance population health and personalized care, Philips innovation lead prescribes an ecosystem approach

by Jonah Comstock

How patient-facing digital health can learn from the failures of EHRs.

News

Seven ways health consumers are tracking their sleep

by Jonah Comstock

From the wrist to the finger to the forehead to the bedside, consumer sleep tracking is a booming business.

News

Morgan Stanley sizes up Apple's healthcare opportunity, predicts $15B to $300B by 2027

by Jonah Comstock

The investment bank's 54-page report includes speculations about the Cupertino giant's future.

News

NHS App pilot report: Ordering repeat prescriptions easy, but appointment booking 'full of jargon'

by Leontina Postelnicu

The app was made available on Google Play and the App Store at the end of last year.

Video

DIY healthcare is moving flow of funds away from ERs

by HIMSS TV

PwC's US Health Services Sector Leader Gurpreet Singh says there is an overwhelming majority of consumers and providers who want to use digital tools and data in care.

Video

Meeting the challenges of value-based care in the age of consumerism

by HIMSS TV

Constellation Research VP David Chou discusses the long journey to value-based care and looking at tech mega-trends through a healthcare lens to operationalize them. 

Video

How mobile is advancing the consumerization of healthcare

by HIMSS TV

Mobile technology allows the patient to be engaged, to "clear the red dots" on their phones to be prepared for surgery, according to MobileSmith CEO Randy Tomlin.

News

Consumer fitness apps show nonsignificant behavior improvements

by Laura Lovett

A new meta-analysis published in JMIR revealed that while fitness apps modestly increase physical activity, the average observed step count between app users and nonusers did not reach statistical significance.

News

Making sense of patient engagement, activation and empowerment

by Jonah Comstock

How a clear distinction between the three could improve the success rate of digital health pilots.

News

The promises of consumer health data dominated CES 2019

by Dave Muoio

From on-stage demos to expo floor chit chat, attendees couldn't resist discussing what data collection and analysis could bring to consumer healthcare technology.

News

Retail uses tech and data to engage its consumers — why can't healthcare?

by Dave Muoio

Humana's chief medical officer said that healthcare already has the tools it needs to anticipate patients' needs and close gaps in care.

News

The consumerization of healthcare: the good, the bad, the baffling

by Laura Lovett

As consumers start to drive their healthcare experience, concerns about healthcare spending savvy and information overload come to light. 

Video

HIMSS CTIO on consumerization of healthcare, interoperability and data

by HIMSS TV

The interoperability discussion moves beyond technology to cover policy and process, says HIMSS Chief Technology and Innovation Officer Steve Wretling.

News

Patient data: Who owns it? Who can improve it? What's it worth?

by Laura Lovett

As the patient moves into the consumer role in healthcare, more questions emerge around their role in data exchange.