AI + Human Empathy = Patient Journeys with Promise

According to Forrester’s latest research, the AI hype is over. How can it be? And if it is, how can companies prosper on this new frontier and position themselves for growth in the months ahead? What else is keeping B2B and B2C revenue leaders up at night?

In our latest series, our sales acceleration experts weigh in on this and other pressing sales-shaping trends with deep, diverse insights.

Q: What does ‘health literacy’ look like in 2026, when AI tools can explain medical concepts instantly? Will it affect the way we engage with patients on behalf of our healthcare clients?  

Human providers are—and will always be—integral to every stage of the patient care journey. Relying strictly on AI for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment plans is a high-risk proposition for patients. Rather, AI needs to be strategically deployed to ensure that human empathy remains part of patient health conversations, which could lead to better patient care.

Q: What’s one area of patient experience that will feel outdated in the future?

Typical care tasks, such as appointment scheduling, prescription management, and early-stage patient queries, occur through human interactions. AI will increasingly take these lower-value—but necessary—tasks off providers’ plates, freeing them up to focus on providing actual care. Communication channels are also going to become more omnichannel and connected than they are today.

Q: What business model changes do you expect to shift in med device and pharma segments?  

There is going to be more integration and collaboration among med device/pharma and traditional consumer electronics companies. Wearables, which gather valuable healthcare data, will become part of patient care, including maintaining and accessing health records, facilitating provider conversations, and monitoring and managing care plans. Think continuous glucose monitors, which have applicability outside of the healthcare setting. If providers and device manufacturers can tie patient data to every step of the care journey, it will bring immeasurable value. This is going to require tight alignment between sales, product experts, and clinician teams.

Q: 91% of healthcare organizations have adopted digital health tools, found digital health platform provider Xealth, and 76% say these tools have improved patient engagement. With most providers being digitally mature, what’s the next priority you see emerging to improve patient experience? 

There are three pillars that drive solutions and results—people, processes, and technology. Even as AI comes into play, there may be shifts, but ultimately, this blend is essential to a positive patient experience. Digital tools are enhancing it by simplifying routine care tasks and giving patients and providers increased access to more comprehensive healthcare data.

The next priority for providers and manufacturers is two-fold: 1) build relationships with ancillary providers and clinics related to common patient conditions (for sleep apnea, for example, collaborate with sleep study providers and weight loss clinics), and 2) prioritize reducing patient journey friction during new tech deployments.

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