Swaay.Health Live took place in Atlanta May 6-9, 2024. The event, which was formerly the HITMC annual conference, brought together marketing professionals from across healthcare. While the group started out many years ago with a focus on Health IT marketers, it has grown to include marketing leaders from hospitals and health systems as well. This year’s content was a true mix of content for each of those audiences.
There were traditional sessions and panels as well as several other formats, including debates and fireside chats. There were two sessions that we attended that were intended for hospital and health systems marketers. The first was, It’s Time to Include Patients in Patient Engagement: Early Insights from the KLAS Patient Voice Collaborative. This one brought together KLAS Research and representatives from three health systems to talk about the Patient Voice Collaborative, which is designed to help the industry understand and benchmark the technology needs and expectations of patients.
The group discussed the ways in which they are trying to uncover what patients really need and shared early insights from thousands of patient interviews. They discussed lessons learned and the impact of including the voice of patients in technology decisions.
Not surprisingly, we aren’t always doing the best job at meeting patients where they are or providing easy access to the tools they want most. Recent data from a Gozio survey of nearly 700 patients also looked at what patients want in their digital healthcare experience. The main insights were that patients would like to manage their healthcare through a single platform and they would like that platform to be accessible on their mobile device.
The other session we really enjoyed was the patient experience unconference. An unconference is a session where everyone shows up and there is an open discussion about that topic. People can submit questions ahead or ask them at the session, and the conversation goes in whatever direction it takes as it progresses.
This time, the conversation did cover things like easier access to medical records and tools and features that can help patients navigate their healthcare journey, but it also veered into other areas. The most valuable discussion was really around how much trauma and stress there can be for patients and healthcare providers. Our system doesn’t always look for ways to address that. The result is not only poorer outcomes for some patients but also a negative impact on their families that may result in additional health concerns like depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, and even the development of autoimmune disorders.
One attendee at the unconference talked about her experience and how important she thinks it is for us to start thinking more about how we support not just patients, but their families and support networks, and the healthcare providers who serve them. The best thing about these sessions is the unexpected conversations that develop like this one.
Overall, Swaay.Health Live was a great event, providing the latest news and insights to support people working in marketing across healthcare. We look forward to more interesting session formats and unconference topics in 2025. If you're interested in learning more about Swaay.Health, you can visit their website and follow them on LinkedIn.