Do patients have a place in healthcare?

At a recent healthcare conference, various organizations competed to have the most innovative inventions for the healthcare industry. Technology was on full display in many of the presentations as each business unveiled their new products poised to be “game changers” in the industry.

However, by the end of the day, not one organization mentioned the word “patient.” All were enamored by their own products, but not concerned with how it might affect the patient – either the quality of their life or their satisfaction with the product.

Just as in Customer Experience, products in the healthcare industry must begin with the patient. In healthcare, product developers mistakenly believe that the hospitals and clinics promoting the products are the customers, but they are your outsourced sales team. The customer is the patient.

If the patient’s life isn’t improved by the product, similar to if a customer’s life isn’t improved by the product, the attention is misplaced.

Focus on the people who will ultimately use your product – who are they, why would they need your product, how would they use it, does it really make sense for them or are you just creating problems where there aren’t any.

Not only should patients have a place in healthcare, they should be the priority.