Dr P.K.Hazra, Director of Cardiology, AMRI Hospital, Kolkata stresses that it isn’t always easy to ensure patients are open to doctors, and are willing to set goals and adhere to them, this is where digital therapeutics (DTx) comes to aid. I believe that DTx will lie at the centre of creating better doctor-patient relationships through enabling better communications, faster diagnosis and could even help patients open up on issues that they would otherwise not in front of a physician
“Human behaviour flows from three main sources – desire, emotion, and knowledge”- So said Plato, one of the greatest philosophers to have lived and changed the course of mankind.
Now let us understand this from the purview of doctor-patient relationships, if the doctor does not appeal to the emotion of the patient, or if the patient doesn’t desire to gain knowledge, that could lead to behaviour not focused on the right healing methods or medications. The doctor could prescribe the best medication or therapies in the world, but if there is no appeal to emotions, there could be a lack of adherence to treatment, and a lack of a yearn for knowledge and awareness from the patient. This is why creating vital connections of trust, knowledge, regard and loyalty between doctors and patients is arguably as important as the treatment itself. These four elements, are also the cornerstone of the most optimal doctor-patient connection that can ensure the best possible positive outcomes for the patient.
The area of digital health over the past 20 years has rested on quality communication, identify the right healthcare provider, search for more information and build better healthcare brands. But now with the advent of AI, health trackers and a host of other digital measures, healthcare tech can finally focus more on reducing suffering and increasing healing/prevention.
At the base of this lies good doctor-patient relationships. You don’t have to take my word for it, a study back in 2014 by the Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital found that better doctor-patient relationships are linked to overall better health. These can be accomplished by simple interventions such as better eye contact, paying closer attention to their emotions, and taking strong interest in helping them set goals. But it isn’t always easy to ensure patients are open to doctors, and are willing to set goals and adhere to them, this is where digital therapeutics (DTx) comes to aid.
I believe that DTx will lie at the centre of creating better doctor-patient relationships through enabling better communications, faster diagnosis and could even help patients open up on issues that they would otherwise not in front of a physician.
Although still in its infancy, DTx is a growing field and can be used for a variety of use cases and does not have a single methodology. One could also say it takes inspiration from psychology as the entire practice is rooted in cognitive behavioural therapy to help patients make critical lifestyle changes. Some of the areas where DTx could help bring about drastic change are type II diabetes, lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dementia, congestive heart failure, and even ADHD, anxiety and hypertension.
How exactly does it better doctor-patient relationships?
Let us take the example of a smoker who has decided to quit, the usual method is to prescribe a nicotine replacement, but it by no means ensures adherence to the protocol. When a DTx application is prescribed along with the medication, the doctor gets regular updates from the patient on how the treatment is coming along, can pose questions to the patient on a regular basis. Meanwhile the patient gets frequent reminders on medication timings, constant encouragement to stay the course, and even has the option of maybe an SOS option to the doctor in case he/she feels they might relapse from medication. This is just one simple fundamental example of how DTx works, it is by no means a replacement for medical processes, but acts complimentarily to better results, like a catalyst of sorts.
What would we say are the topmost requirements for a patient to feel fully safe in the hands of their doctors? Some aspects that come to mind are personalised therapy, greater engagement, much better outcomes, reduced costs, frequent insights into why and how of treatment, and more easily available care.
These were the exact factors that a study on healthcare professionals by technology company IBM found out back in 2018. In terms of benefits, 63 per cent said it will improve individualised therapy, 61 per cent said it leads to greater patient engagement, 56 per cent were positive that it would improve outcomes and 43 per cent felt it would reduce cost of care.
As we move forward, perhaps the biggest challenge on our hands is to incorporate better doctor-patient relationships as one of the foremost principles of digital healthcare, the entire environment needs to ensure that all medical professionals are provided training on creating relationships with their clients. Schools, colleges and workplace also need to be educated about the importance of being honest and open with their doctors and I see digital therapeutics as a perfect tool to accelerate the next wave of healthcare built upon better relationships and better technologies.