In the age of digital health, incorporating a human touch into virtual care is crucial. We’ve gathered insights from five professionals, including a Therapist and a Medical Director, to share examples that highlight empathy. From creating a warm virtual environment to sending personalized video follow-ups, discover how experts are humanizing health tech interactions.
- Create a Warm Virtual Environment
- Design Tech for Human Interaction
- Enhance Care with Empathetic Telehealth
- Use AI for Efficient Empathy Triage
- Send Personalized Video Follow-Ups
Create a Warm Virtual Environment
Incorporating a human touch into virtual healthcare is essential, especially when dealing with sensitive mental health issues. I prioritize creating a warm, welcoming environment through small but impactful details. For example, during video sessions, I always ensure an uncluttered space and use soft lighting to imitate a peaceful, in-person office setting. Additionally, active listening is key. I maintain eye contact, nod, and use affirming words to convey empathy.
Once, I worked with a client who struggled with the pressures of helicopter parenting. By acknowledging their feelings and sharing a bit about my personal experience with similar dynamics, I was able to build trust and provide support that felt genuinely personal and empathetic.
Kristie Tse
Founder & Therapist, Uncover Mental Health Counseling
Design Tech for Human Interaction
Although AI, as it continues evolving, can make technology itself more ‘personable’ and responsive, I believe the true empathy in healthtech comes during the genesis, purpose, and design of the products and services. Healthcare technology should allow clinicians to spend more time with patients, whether virtual or in person, by alleviating mundane documentation and coordinating tasks. It also should advance access and improve care by providing monitoring and notifications, care coordination, and telehealth.
The empathy in healthtech, therefore, is when it is used to enable true human interaction and better care, especially for underserved or vulnerable patients. An app that allows patients to get timely care in their homes, for instance, can make a huge difference in that patient’s life, so long as it’s easy to use and readily available.
Susan Walberg
Author of Upcoming “Healthcare Technology: Law and Compliance” and “Insider’s Guide to Compliance”
Enhance Care with Empathetic Telehealth
In virtual healthcare interactions, I strive to maintain a compassionate connection despite the digital platform.
Recently, I consulted with a patient seeking upper blepharoplasty for excess eyelid skin, who also presented with an unexpected unilateral iatrogenic ptosis. Through telehealth, I conducted thorough video consultations to assess their concerns and surgical needs. During our virtual sessions, I took the time to explain the complexities of their condition, using digital tools to show before-and-after simulations and discuss the surgical plan in detail.
By addressing both the aesthetic and functional aspects of their eyelids with empathy and clarity, I ensured the patient felt fully informed and supported throughout their journey, illustrating how technology can enhance rather than detract from personalized care in plastic surgery.
David Hill, MD
Plastic Surgeon & Medical Director, Fulcrum Aesthetics & Surgery
Use AI for Efficient Empathy Triage
Human touch is important in virtual healthcare interactions, but the problem is that it requires significant human resources—resources that are limited in capacity.
To bridge this gap and ensure human touch is given where it is needed the most, health professionals can utilize health tech. For example, some practices are using Keragon (an automation platform) to achieve this level of triaging during the patient intake process. They use responses from a questionnaire and an AI-based triaging mechanism, which employs both keyword search and rule-based scoring, to determine where human involvement is essential. This is particularly useful for patients who are confused about the process or have sensitive conditions requiring extra care.
By routing this smaller subset of patients to medical personnel who can provide full attention, and diverting the larger volume of remaining patients to an automated intake process requiring minimal human intervention, healthcare professionals can maintain a balance between empathy and efficiency in their virtual healthcare interactions.
Conno Christou
CEO & Co-Founder, Keragon
Send Personalized Video Follow-Ups
When following up with patients virtually, record short, personalized video messages instead of plain-text emails. For instance, you can address specific concerns they’ve mentioned, offer encouragement, and demonstrate empathy through facial expressions and tone of voice. This makes the interaction more personal and shows genuine care.
María Eugenia Sørensen
Founder, Clínica Dental Sørensen Mataró
