In my last blog, “The journey ahead: Altera’s commitment to enabling clinicians with the right tools,” I explored one of the pillars of our vision: to improve outcomes for healthcare organizations by enabling clinicians with the right tools. As we set our sights on helping organizations reach the summit of healthcare, we measure our success by our clients’ outcomes, and this includes all parts of the healthcare ecosystem. From the providers, patients, care organizations and beyond. I’d like to dive into the next pillar of our vision.

Empowering patients

As a patient in today’s healthcare environment, it can feel overwhelming, or even confusing, to navigate complex patient portals, rushed doctor’s visits and tsunamis of health information swirling around. Often, patients don’t even know where to begin when it comes to managing their own health. We recognize this disconnect, which is why we’re committed to empowering patients through innovative solutions, enabling them to proactively manage their health with a seamless, self-service application for personalized care and informed decision-making.

Empowerment through access

An essential part of our vision for empowering patients is delivering innovative solutions to provide the power and flexibility to access personalized care options that suit their needs and preferences. Patient portals are one of multiple tools that health systems can leverage to give patients a vector to engage with their care team and their health information. These portals put the patients in the driver’s seat to get the information they need, while identifying and suggesting actions patients can take to improve their health outcomes. With artificial intelligence, we can empower the patient to have a more responsive experience when engaging with their care team, including greater access to personalized insights. This all goes beyond just accessing their health information. It inspires and encourages them to make informed decisions for their own health. Using FHIR APIs, we give patients the power to extract their health data more readily, so they can take greater command of their health information, seeing it where they want it and when they want it. With full access to their health data, patients have the freedom and flexibility to handle their care, in their hands, at any moment.

Technology as a source of connection

The patient–provider relationship is a crucial part of the care journey. Artificial intelligence is enabling those relationships and transforming interactions. For example, with ambient listening, building a greater connection between the clinician and patient can become a clear reality. Clinicians experience less burden from administrative tasks and are relieved from the responsibility of notetaking during a patient visit, while the patient feels heard and cared for, without distraction. These tools can create a personalized interaction with their provider, so patients feel truly listened to. When the patient is empowered and satisfied with their care, the clinician experiences success. This creates a positive ripple effect across the entirety of the organization and its community of patients. Critically, as artificial intelligence transforms care organizations to automate and streamline administrative efforts, care can become more affordable and accessible to more and more patients resulting in healthier communities.

At Altera, the outcomes of our clients are at the heart of what we do. Better outcomes for clinicians and care organizations are important, but ultimately our collective success is measured by the health of the patients we serve together. When the patients are inspired and feel confident to manage their health, they are empowered to achieve greater outcomes.

Read more about our vision here.