How Human-Centered Design in HealthTech Drives Both Patient Outcomes and Business Success
- Brainz Magazine
- Apr 25
- 3 min read
Sree is a healthcare technologist, a startup mentor and a blogger. He is an MD, an MBA, and is currently the Director of Product Management for Elumina Health Inc., where he is building an electronic health record customized for Home Healthcare.
In the rapidly evolving healthtech landscape, we often find ourselves caught between two seemingly competing priorities: delivering compassionate care and achieving business objectives. As a physician who transitioned to product leadership, I've witnessed firsthand how this false dichotomy can hinder innovation. The truth? Human-centered design isn't just good medicine, it's good business.
The business case for empathy
When we examine successful healthtech implementations, a pattern emerges. Solutions designed with genuine empathy for users consistently outperform those focused solely on technical capabilities or financial metrics. Consider the case of medication adherence technologies. Traditional approaches focused on reminders and notifications achieved modest improvements of 10-15% in adherence rates. However, systems redesigned around patient motivations, daily routines, and emotional barriers have demonstrated adherence improvements exceeding 40% in multiple studies.
This translates directly to the bottom line. Costs attributed to ‘all causes’ non-adherence ranged from $5271 to $52 341 in reduced annual healthcare costs per patient. The math becomes compelling at scale.
The misalignment of priorities
Throughout my career, I've observed healthcare companies investing extraordinary resources in areas such as revenue cycle management, meticulously tracking every billable moment, and sometimes even manipulating claim processes to boost profits at patients' expense. The recent tragic assassination of a major health insurance CEO and the subsequent public outrage illustrate the dangerous consequences of this approach.
Yet these same organizations often dedicate minimal effort to improving patient and clinician experiences. This misalignment isn't just ethically problematic, it's a poor business strategy. The healthcare companies that will thrive in the coming decade understand that technology alone isn't a magic button; it's an enabler for meaningful human connections.
The human element in technology success
My experience has consistently shown that medication adherence isn't primarily a technology problem; it's a trust problem. When patients develop genuine rapport with their clinical team, adherence rates soar. The most effective healthtech solutions amplify these human relationships rather than attempting to replace them.
Equally important is addressing clinician burden. I've watched brilliant, compassionate providers burn out under the weight of poorly designed systems. Each clinician who leaves the profession represents not only a human tragedy but also approximately $250,000-$1 million in replacement costs.
Measuring what matters: A dual framework
To properly evaluate human-centered design initiatives, organizations need frameworks that capture both clinical and financial outcomes. I recommend a balanced scorecard approach with four key dimensions:
Patient experience metrics: Beyond satisfaction surveys, measure engagement duration, feature adoption rates, and qualitative feedback themes.
Clinical outcome indicators: Track condition-specific health markers, hospitalization rates, and quality of life measures.
Clinician wellbeing metrics: Net Promoter Scores, monitor burnout rates, system usability scores, and documentation time.
Financial performance: Analyze customer acquisition costs, retention rates, and lifetime value.
The future of healthtech belongs to companies that understand a fundamental truth: compassion and commerce can coexist, and when thoughtfully integrated, each makes the other stronger.
Read more from Dr. Sreeram Mullankandy
Dr. Sreeram Mullankandy, Director of Product Management & Clinical Quality
Sree is a medical doctor, technologist and startup mentor on a mission to revolutionize healthcare. He combines his medical expertise with tech innovation to create digital health solutions that bring healthcare right to patients. His goal is to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for everyone. Currently, he is working on exciting AI-based health-tech projects in the home healthcare space, while mentoring future innovators in digital health startups.
