Northern Arizona Healthcare

Travis Boren

‘Brick and Mortar is Dead’ and similar proclamations dotted the headlines of every retail banking industry magazine, periodical, blog and news article 10 to 15 years ago. The proclamations made the bold prediction that bank branches would disappear as a new breed of digital banking tools such as online and mobile banking took center stage. Yet, here we are 15 years later and most of us can stand on a corner of any city or town, big and small, and throw a rock and hit a bank branch. However, upon closer look, you will notice that the local bank branch has evolved significantly.

As a recovering banker, who found his calling in healthcare after spending time in the software industry, I can’t help but draw parallels between what is occurring in healthcare with regard to digital health and virtual care and the transformation that has occurred in many industries in the last couple of decades.

When evaluating what the future holds, we can look to industries that have undergone this evolution and transformation years before the current pandemic forced healthcare to look itself in the mirror regarding digital transformation and virtual care delivery. Bank branches are not in danger of going extinct, they are just evolving. What we have seen, however, is the demise of banking organizations that were not willing to transform and evolve quickly with changing consumer behavior and demands. This should serve as a wakeup call for healthcare systems and provider practices across the US.

In the days, months, and (heavy sigh) years that have lapsed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s hard to avoid allusions and proclamations regarding the future of in-person care and brick and mortar clinics. The rapid adoption of virtual care has prompted some to prophesize dire outcomes for in-person care. This is not an either/or situation when comparing virtual vs. in-person, but rather ‘both’—aligned with the objective of increasing value, improving care and decreasing costs.

It is imperative that healthcare organizations rapidly evolve care delivery and seek to digitally transform their organizations. The banking industry has largely evolved to offer consumers an omni-channel experience that promotes a unified experience to access services through the consumer’s preferred channel. As healthcare providers, there is great opportunity to leverage this same omni-channel approach to help us achieve objectives of providing greater value, improving outcomes, increasing patient satisfaction and reducing costs. We must meet our patients where they are, and proactively deliver the customized care they need whether it’s care by video, care in the clinic, care at the retail kiosk, scheduling on mobile, proactive monitoring of vitals via wearable devices, triage and navigation via AI assistant and the list goes on.

"AN OMNI-CHANNEL APPROACH WEAVES BOTH PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL CHANNELS HARMONIOUSLY TO ENSURE A CONSISTENT AND UNINTERRUPTED EXPERIENCE FOR THE PATIENT"

An omni-channel approach weaves both physical and digital channels harmoniously to ensure a consistent and uninterrupted experience for the patient. It is also important to note that a successful omni-channel approach optimizes and automates staff and clinician workflows and garners increased engagement of our workforce. Digital health and virtual care should augment the care experience for all patients, staff and clinicians, or else adoption will suffer greatly.

Healthcare is fatigued from the pandemic these past few years and the thought of a significant initiative can be daunting. However, a well-crafted strategy for the modernization of digital health and virtual care capabilities can offer a powerful opportunity to improve patient satisfaction, while also decreasing the heavy burden and burnout that staff are experiencing through this difficult time.