Newport Beach, Calif.-based Hoag Health System is launching new digital products to meet rising consumer expectations and overcome “app fatigue,” an executive told Becker’s.
The two-hospital system is coming out with a digital health platform to help patients with gastrointestinal issues, as well as 24/7 on-demand virtual care.
“Can we leverage new care models to really talk to people in not just those sick moments, but in between the visit, the moments when it’s not about ‘I broke a bone’ or ‘I need a doctor,’ but in moments when you want to take care of yourself?” Kathy Azeez-Narain, chief digital and customer innovation officer of Hoag, told Becker’s. “So we’re definitely thinking about how we move up the funnel preventatively.”
Hoag is launching an online tool for gastroesophageal reflux disease this summer. The web-based application is designed to provide education, symptom assessment, and personalized recommendations. The tool will serve a range of potential GERD patients, including those with high-risk symptoms who seek alternatives to antacid medication as well as the “worried well” cohort interested in preventative wellness and lifestyle modifications, Ms. Azeez-Narain said.
The digital channel is a key part of Hoag’s digestive health strategy to meet the growing need for awareness, intake and support, with over a million monthly Google searches for heartburn, acid reflux and GERD-related keywords.
“You hear people ‘doctor googling’ or following TikTok influencers,” Ms. Azeez-Narain said. “Why wouldn’t our clinical staff who are very well educated, who have years and years of experience, not be at the forefront of giving that advice?”
The health system also plans to roll out Hoag On-Demand with virtual on-demand care available 24/7, starting late this summer with urgent care-type symptoms. Ms. Azeez-Narain said this type of offering has become “table stakes” in healthcare.
“We know from research that many people avoid care because of the hassle of trying to find the right appointment, figuring out the time you could take off of work to get to that facility or office,” she said. “So that first virtual touch could actually help the person ultimately get care for something and not have it get worse before they’re now showing up at the [hospital] door.”
Hoag is building off its Nona app, released three years ago, that gives postpartum mothers infant care advice and allows them to ask questions of experts. The health system developed a web app this time rather than one you download to overcome what Ms. Azeez-Narain called “app fatigue.”
“What we’ve heard is sometimes the app is a barrier itself, the whole download and setup,” she said. “Web-based applications are easily accessible via search engines and AI-powered answer engines where many people start their health-related inquiries. We hear from patients in our community that they are eager to ask our doctors instead of solely relying on anonymous sources from Google or ChatGPT, so it’s essential to provide easy access to information and assessment tools validated by doctors in our centers of excellence.”
Hoag aims to connect these solutions to give patients a holistic digital experience. “How do we leverage our digital platform to keep you connected to really solid advice, information, care planning so your condition doesn’t get worse?” Ms. Azeez-Narain said.
