INSIGHTS

Humanizing
Healthcare
New Models of Care

OCTAVIO EGEA
Executive Strategy Director, EMEA

Published by frog
New tools, platforms and processes are
reshaping the entire healthcare industry.
At frog, our work applies new technologies
to improve care pathways, from driving
patient-centered research and development,
making better, connected tools for better
care, bringing health to daily life and creating
a truly humanized healthcare system capable
of delivering on new models of care.

In a post-COVID landscape where virtual

care is mission-critical, there is tremendous
potential to take a convergent design approach
to truly merge digital products and services
with in-person doctor-patient experiences.
But in order to improve outcomes for all,
healthcare must not only become more
digitally connected—it must also become
more human.

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5 Principles of Human-
Centered Healthcare
Healthcare organizations and providers have long been looking
for new ways to leverage technology to improve access, efficiency
and outcomes. With the impetus of a global pandemic, however,
digital innovations are playing an even greater role in healthcare
transformation than anticipated. But digital tools and platforms by
themselves are no panacea. Only a systemic and human-centered
approach built upon a holistic vision of health can ensure that digital
healthcare transformation results in better experiences, better tools
and better outcomes.
In this report, we outline five principles to guide healthcare
innovation in a post-COVID world. We also offer design provocations
to help generate ideas for evolving your offering to be more effective,
connected and human-centered.

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1. Digital tools must
increase access for all
Any solution that excludes
those most in need of healthcare
is not a solution
The average age of the European population has been increasing
for decades 1. Today, one-fifth of the people in the European Union—
89 million people—are 65 or older. An estimated 50 million are living
with at least one chronic illness, adding up to €700bn in annual
healthcare costs 2. While many digital healthcare products increase
access and improve care for young, tech-literate patients, these
are the patients who are generally least in need of frequent care.
In addition, usability studies have shown that digital and mobile
health tools are rarely designed with older adults in mind 3.
By focusing on innovations that improve access and coordinate
care for older patients and those with chronic illnesses, public
health systems can increase quality of life and reduce costs for
their neediest patients.

DESIGN PROVOCATIONS

What if your product or

service needed to serve only
elderly patients?
How could your offering
be adapted to a purely SMS-
based environment?
1 Population structure and ageing, eurostat
2 Never too early: Tackling chronic disease, to extend healthy life years, The Economist
3 Investigating usability issues of mHealth apps for elderly people, Manaschandra Kamana

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2. Virtual healthcare
needs a human touch
Patients and providers alike
miss the trust and connection
of in-person care
COVID-19 has significantly reduced access to direct, in-person
primary care, but even prior to the pandemic, in-person clinical visits
were restricted—general practitioner consultations in the European
Union average only ten minutes per patient 4. Virtual platforms
and telehealth tools have provided a lifeline during this crisis, but
they can too often leave patients and providers feeling like they’re
missing something. In addition, while nearly 75% of primary care
consultations could be resolved without in-person appointments,
less than 1% of them are run remotely, impacting both overall costs
and quality of care. Moreover, poor internet connectivity, low digital
literacy and lack of access to technology can negatively impact
virtual healthcare success. Health services that actively strike
a balance between delivering the convenience of digital with the
comforting, reassuring human touch of in-person care will be
better positioned for a post-COVID future.

DESIGN PROVOCATIONS

How would consultations change

if delivered via virtual reality?
What if your office space were
reimagined as a supplement
to remote care experiences?

4 International variations in primary care physician consultation time, BMJ Journals

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3. Remote tools need
buy-in from doctors
Most remote care solutions focus
too narrowly on patient experience
Medical and pharmaceutical companies have developed many new
tools and platforms that bring healthcare into the home. From smart
thermometers, blood pressure cuffs and scales to apps collecting
medical data and monitoring changes in daily vital signs, remote
tools have growing potential in any number of health and wellness
applications. These technologies significantly increase comfort and
convenience for patients, while also empowering them to take a
more active and informed role in their care. But because these tools
are often far more complicated on the provider end than the patient
end, they tend to require additional training and experimentation
before they can become routine. As a result, a lack of adoption by
physicians has become one of their greatest barriers to success.
By extending the promise of greater comfort and convenience to
care providers as well, remote technologies can truly fulfill their
promise of bringing healthcare home.

DESIGN PROVOCATIONS

What if your digital tools

allowed for a maximum of
three steps per interaction?
What might incentivize
new tool adoption in your
organization?

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4. DTx and AI are the
new care team members
Tech is improving experiences and
outcomes for patients and providers
In the last few years, digital therapeutics (DTx) has led to remote
care and intervention for a wide range of chronic and acute
conditions, offering patient-centric solutions that integrate
seamlessly into the majority of life spent outside of the healthcare
system. During the pandemic, DTx products and services offering
mental health treatment were able to bypass usual U.S. Food and
Drug Administration regulations to deal with the growing need 5.
Meanwhile, the increased power and widespread availability of AI
technology has enabled revolutionary new applications. AI is helping
doctors detect anomalies more quickly and calculate dosages more
precisely, freeing them to spend more time with their patients.
As the benefits and efficiency of machine-assisted care and
workflows become clear, demand for robust and accessible DTx
and AI-powered healthcare tools will increase. By embracing
emerging tech as part of the team, organizations can upskill staff,
ensure speedy, accurate treatment and set a whole new standard
for personalized, preventative care.

DESIGN PROVOCATIONS

What if all doctor-patient

consultations first occurred
via a smartphone app?
What if you needed to train
an AI assistant to replace 50%
of doctor-patient interactions?
5 Digital Therapeutics Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis
Report By Application, Grand View Research

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5. Real innovation takes
systems thinking
Connecting existing systems is as
important as creating new ones
In a traditionally conservative market now engulfed by digital
transformation and high-tech innovation, no one wants to feel like
they’re falling behind. Innovations that seek to disrupt, placing
complete focus on immediate improvements to patient and
provider experiences are necessary, but to enable better outcomes
across the entire healthcare system, we must work to understand,
challenge and connect the existing ecosystem of service providers.
For instance, IoMT—The Internet of Medical Things—is driving rapid
innovation in medtech, inspiring everything from next-generation
pregnancy testing kits to MRI scanners and artificial joints. IoMT
has incredible potential to better connect the infrastructure of
health services, but it will need to take a systemic view to make a
real impact. In order to create significant, scalable change, it will be
critical to embed innovation within existing systems in addition to
creating new ones. This is not in service of incremental change,
but as a means to scale change more smoothly and strategically
for longer lasting results.

DESIGN PROVOCATIONS

What business model from

outside the healthcare industry
might you adapt for your needs?
How could your offering better
connect two of your strategic
partners?

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At frog, we are committed to increasing access
to care, reducing costs and improving health
outcomes for all. We believe our capacity for
deep empathy, our commitment to human-
centered design and our significant technology
expertise makes us uniquely qualified to deliver
products, services and systems that empower
everyone invested in healthier living and more
effective treatment.
GET IN TOUCH WITH FROG FOR HELP

Humanizing technology for people

Engaging people to foster healthy
behavior change
Leveraging data-driven insights
to inform decision making
Launching products, services
and ventures that improve healthcare
experiences

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frog is a leading global design and strategy consultancy.
For more than five decades, frog has collaborated with
passionate leaders and visionary entrepreneurs to launch
new businesses, win on customer experience and bring bold
ideas to life. We help our clients define and implement new
business models and strategies to seize market opportunities,
build the products and services that their customers love,
and strengthen their capabilities and organizations. Applying
a focused, interdisciplinary approach, frog helps large
organizations, growth-oriented companies and innovative
startups make their mark on the world.

To start a conversation about strategies for impact, contact

frog.marketing@frogdesign.com

frog is part of the Capgemini Group.

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