Philip Marshall, Co-Founder, Conversa Health shares his insights at the Connected Health Summit: Engaging Consumers. Philip spoke on the "Moving the Digital Health Market Forward: Consumers Take Charge" panel at the 2014 event.

What is the most important next step for healthcare providers to engage consumers in digital health solutions?
For doctors to effectively engage patients in using digital solutions, it is key that doctors recognize and appreciate the importance of meeting patients “where they are,” which, from a digital perspective, means meeting them on any device they’re using and in the patient portal they’re already using when communicating with their doctor. Working with the patients’ workflow is equally as important as having solutions that work with the clinical workflow.

What will be the biggest impact for consumers as a result of digital health solutions?
Digital health solutions have the power to legitimize consumer participation in their healthcare. It does this by giving patients the tools they need to become equal partners in their care, along with a more complete understanding of the patient’s role in achieving high quality care and positive outcomes, putting the potential for more meaningful interaction between doctors and patients in the hands of the patient is a powerful impact.

What will be the biggest driver for digital health market?
The biggest driver for the digital health market is going to be when patients, as part of their collaboration with their care team, feel they are equal partners in their care. The result of this partnership will be that patients feel that their ongoing participation, engagement, and input of their data is continually and actively supporting the quality of care they receive.