Jonathan Slotkin, MD, is a neurological surgeon at Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger, with a clinical interest in spinal cord injuries and nanotechnology initiatives for spinal disorders. He also has an eye for innovation and the patient experience.
Here, Dr. Slotkin shares his thoughts on consumerism in healthcare and how it will improve spine care in the future.
Q: What is the best opportunity for spine surgeons this year?
Dr. Jonathan Slotkin: 2018 will see even more attention on consumerism in health care. Many verticals, such as retail, hospitality and even financial services, often treat their customers better from an experiential standpoint than medicine treats its patients. As healthcare expands efforts around having a true 360-degree view of our patients, we will really move toward individualized patient journeys and campaign management.
Health care providers went into medicine because service is a trait that is in their hearts. Providers are now learning how to translate this into action. Great tools for operationalizing this vision are customer relationship management solutions. Focusing on customer experience is not just good business and a competitive differentiator — it's good medicine.