Turn on the TV! Your doctor wants to talk to you (Part 2)

Carina Edwards: We design our solutions to be accessible to everyone. Our platform simply requires access to a browser and the internet. People can interact with our solution with email and text messaging. There are ways to reach every population.

When we think about accessibility and engagement, we focus on personalization. We personalize our solution from the lens of the health system, the provider, and the individual. When they join, we ask people a few quick questions so we understand their goals. We then customize their experience—with images that reflect their perspective, for example—so it looks and feels like their journey. We've also made it very interactive.

Our solution can be personalized for long or short procedures, as well as different populations and insurance plans. We’re able to effectively communicate with a wide range of populations about the next action step in their care.

Carina: I'm most excited about independent living for seniors. COVID accelerated this trend, but home will become the center of care. “Home” does not necessarily mean four physical walls. It means anytime, anywhere, any device, or whenever there is an opportunity for interaction. My big, exciting 10-year vision is a convergence of the issues we’re working on: allowing people who wear multiple hats to access all they need in one place.

Seniors don’t want cameras in their homes or video check-ins. They want privacy. So we are looking at using ambient sensing—essentially algorithms—to understand patterns in the home. Let’s say every day Mom goes to the kitchen at 9:30, and it's now 11:00. She hasn't been in the kitchen yet. I might get an alert on my phone that says, hey, you might want to check in on Mom. If Mom falls, I sense the fall and can get help to her quickly. She can use her voice in the home to interact with technology in a way that's more natural than a camera “spying” on her.

Carina: We've anchored the importance of trust. Many people trust their doctor, so when the provider says do this, you do it. It’s not like having all these different coaches trying to get you through different health issues. How many coaches can one person have? If you're an employee today, you might have a pregnancy coach, a diabetes coach, and more.

I wonder how we can move these experiences digitally forward and get them to a better place of trust. I think that's where the magic happens. Right now, it's very fragmented, and we don’t have the proof points about how artificial intelligence and machine learning can help different populations effectively engage.

Carina: Fundamentally, stay curious. Focus on the problems you solve and the value to your buyer. Refine and refine and confirm and confirm. Make sure you're not listening to an echo chamber of friendlies. Listen to the un-friendlies and the naysayers. Get all the input you can to make sure that you understand the problem and are approaching it holistically.

Own your mistakes and be transparent. We're not miracle workers. We're just people. We show up every day, and when we go to bed, we think about the 40 things we could've done differently. You will always have those moments. And I think your team needs to see that.

Do all of this with people you enjoy and respect. Often, we look for that ideal candidate to join our team, but the right passion, the right curiosity, and the right collaborative nature are so much better than a perfect resume. Trust your gut. It's probably going to be right.