The U.S invests resources in healthcare, yet some patients are deprived of the privilege of health access. Patients may be present at the clinic but wait for long hours until they get a chance to visit the doctor. This complex system can be attributed to the HIPAA norms and regulations. It creates a communication gap between patients and providers, a significant concern in the health industry. Patient-provider communication is essential because it determines the success of healthcare services. A lack of communication may result in a delay of healthcare services or low health outcomes.  

“At some point, we will all be patients.”– Gil Bashe. 

New digital health innovations are constantly introduced to meet the growing needs and transitions in the healthcare industry. Despite the changes, patients may need to wait for long durations to receive healthcare. Gil Bashe, a HIMSS20 Digital Influencer, Author, and Ambassador for healthcare communications, spoke about the need to simplify patient-provider communication and eliminate or reduce communication gaps in a live webinar. The event took place on the 21st of April, 2021, and was hosted by Scott Bangerter, Consulting VP of Healthcare at OSP. 

Gil discussed the important role of patient-provider communication for effective treatment and care. He said all about real-time communication challenges and how digital technology can change this. Digital health can simplify access to care and improve communication between healthcare providers and patients.  

Gil gave an example of patient portals and how they can make patient lives easier. Patient portals can simplify appointment booking, automate reminders, and allow patients to chat real-time with physicians and get their queries looked into. This webinar talked about how healthcare technology apps can be used to manage population health better. These apps can be connected to any device and can simplify the lives of both patients and providers. Gil specified that we have 51 health systems (states) in the country and how different state laws affect healthcare because state laws sometimes don’t see eye to eye. (story). He believes that telehealth is here to stay.  

“We each got to unite, and the prize is a healthier nation. Technology has a role to play in it.”– Gil Bashe. 

Overall, the webinar organized by OSP with Gil Bashe was informative and interactive, where it involved a live Q&A session with the audience. The listeners were able to gain insights into the significance of telehealth and how healthcare technology tools can promote better patient-provider communication. 

About OSP: 

OSP provides cutting-edge, flexible healthcare payer software solutions and integrated experiences in the healthcare domain. We have pioneered unique cloud-based software services designed to help the entire healthcare ecosystem, including providers, payers, and billing companies.