Physician viewpoint: Usability far outweighs ‘cool factor’ in digital health

Without taking physician feedback into account throughout development, a digital healthcare app or tool is all but destined to fail, according to Joshua Reischer, MD, an internist and CEO and founder of the Health Note patient information-gathering platform.

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In an interview with the American Medical Association, Dr. Reischer explained why it is absolutely necessary that any digital solution hoping to gain traction in clinical settings must first be tested and approved by actual clinicians.

“There are many companies that are created by nonproviders and they have cool tools, but when it comes to clinical relevance, they struggle to create something that’s actually usable on a day-to-day basis,” he said. “Integrating within an office and not disrupting the workflow is vitally important and so, if you don’t fully understand that workflow, it’s hard to create a product that’s going to help it.”

Dr. Reischer also noted that, contrary to popular belief, most physicians are far from technophobic and will be more than willing to test out new digital tools — as long as they are relevant to their daily workflows. “If something works and can help provide better care, doctors are often the first to jump on it,” he said.

More articles on innovation:
Lafayette General launches 2nd healthcare innovation fund
‘Collaboration is the fuel for innovation,’ according to Dr. Sylvia Romm, Atlantic Health’s 1st innovation chief
Lehigh Valley’s new partnership will develop high-tech solutions for physician burnout

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