Healthcare Innovation and the Humanities
When we seek meaning and connection, we often turn to literature, history, and the humanities. Given today’s remarkable technological and AI advancements, this seems especially relevant.
In healthcare, technology and AI are transforming how we interact with patients and staff. As we create future tech-enabled workplaces, how can we ensure that we work with purpose and maintain the human connection?
What’s in a Name?
Consider Epic, a healthcare technology pioneer since 1979 that integrates technology with the humanities to enhance patient care and connectivity. Epic started in a basement with a small team, aiming to significantly improve health outcomes through technology. Their software, “My Chart,” makes patient medical Information and histories accessible almost anywhere.
From the company name selection to the analogy it draws about its work, Epic symbolizes a grand and transformative vision in improving access and availability of healthcare information. Comparing their work to an epic, “Like the Iliad or the Odyssey, our electronic records chronicle a patient’s healthcare journey over time” (www.epic.com), the use of language and literature fuels their work. They utilize the competencies of the humanities and the tools and approaches of technology/AI. This enhances the access and utility of healthcare data and humanizes both the work and experience. Epic’s embrace of the humanities, literature, and history can be found throughout the company, for example, in its company meetings named “Storytelling.”
A Way Forward
Epic’s Founder/CEO, Judy Faulkner, highlights a future that relies on imagination, creativity, innovation, critical thinking, and reflection—core competencies of the humanities. From its inception, the humanities have been integral to Epic’s success, and this illustrates how integrating these fields can profoundly shape healthcare’s future.
The future of healthcare remains open, allowing us to co-create and mold it to our human needs in a tech-driven world. A robust partnership between the humanities and technology/AI is essential. As George Eliot noted, “It is never too late to be what you might have been,” underscoring the opportunity to meet the moment and fulfill personal and professional needs, keeping the person at the center of all we do in healthcare.
Learn how Leslin is bridging the gap between the humanities and healthcare at www.tlhlf.org and join us on this mission!