Columbus, OH– Technology has not only advanced the amount of information we have at our fingertips, in our pockets and on our wrists. It has shifted how we incorporate that information into our everyday lives and what our expectations are from modern healthcare professionals.
Conversations of the past typically began with a patient’s symptoms and ended with a prescription from a physician’s playbook. Today’s conversations are often more of a patient-led conversation ending with treatment options that suit the unique needs of a specific patient, not just the “go-to” treatment option.
Patients want to feel as though their doctor is a partner in their healthcare, not merely a medical consultant. In fact, nearly half of patients say they prefer to partner with their doctors rather than have doctors simply make the decisions for them, and 34% strongly believe that doctors should encourage patients to raise questions.
With the ongoing rise of consumer wearables, patients are becoming more informed and data-driven in their actions. Thirty-two percent of patients with chronic conditions said they use technology to access, store and transmit health records. And 63% of US adults who use a fitness or health monitoring technology say that technology has led them to significant behavior change.
As healthcare becomes more and more consumer oriented and technologically savvy, physicians will be forced to adapt with a new type of patient. A patient that feels empowered to play a more active involvement in their own care.
Source: Deloitte Center for Health Solutions 2015 survey
About the Author:
As Managing Director of Innovation and Insights for Syneos Health Communications, Leigh is responsible for building and scaling a global team of healthcare experts who together help life science leaders better understand the complex lives, influences and expectations of their customers. Specifically, they uncover actionable insights that fuel empathy and creativity; lead co-creation events that let marketers learn from peers, trends, and new possibilities; and help clients identify the most valuable and useful new customer experiences to create.
Leigh has worked with Fortune 1000 companies to craft their digital, mobile, social and CRM strategies for nearly 20 years.She’s worked for category-leading agencies in retail, public affairs, B2B technology, and higher education. Prior to moving to Syneos Health Communications, she held several leadership roles at our largest agency, GSW. There, she founded an innovation practice fueled by the zeitgeist and spearheaded digital and innovation thinking across the business.
Leigh has taken a special interest in complex healthcare products that can change lives in meaningful ways. She was recently a strategic lead on the 3rd largest launch in pharmaceutical history: Tecfidera. Before that she had keys roles with Eli Lilly Oncology, Abbott Nutrition, Amgen Cardiovascular, and Eli Lilly Diabetes.
A critical part of Leigh’s work is trends and new ideas. Every year, she convenes a group of trend watchers from across our global network to identify the shifts most critical to healthcare marketers. This year, she led over 250 experts to experts to focus on the most important changes in the commercial, consumer, marketing, digital and healthcare landscapes. (See reports at trends.health)
Leigh is a sought-after writer and speaker. Recognized as one of the most inspiring people in the pharmaceutical industry by PharmaVoice and Top 10 Innovation Catalysts of 2017 by MM&M, Leigh also was recognized as a Rising Star by the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) for her overt passion, industry thought leadership and significant contributions in new business, strategy and mentoring.
