Where Technology Meets Patient Education
In 2014, only 25% of Americans accessed their health information online. By 2024, that figure had reached 65%. As technology reshapes how healthcare organizations educate and connect with patients, the opportunity to make health information more accessible to all continues to grow. Christopher Kunney, healthcare strategist and technologist, shares how technology can support patient education by meeting people where they are at, and keeping trust, equity, and human connection at the center.
1. Technology is transforming nearly every aspect of healthcare. How is it changing the way organizations educate and engage patients?
We’ve moved from static, one-size-fits-all patient handouts to dynamic, ongoing engagement. Technology now lets us meet patients where they are at. Whether it’s on their phones, in their preferred language, or at the moment a decision needs to be made, technology allows us to reach patients with information when and where they need it. The shift is from treating patient education as a one-time event to making it an ongoing part of their care.
2. What differentiates successful patient engagement platforms from those that struggle to maintain long-term participation?
The platforms that succeed are built around the patient’s actual life, not the health system’s workflow. They’re simple, they respect the patient’s time, and they show value quickly. The platforms that struggle tend to prioritize compliance or reporting over the patient experience, and patients can tell the difference.
3. Healthcare organizations have access to more patient data than ever before. How can they responsibly use that information to deliver more personalized education?
Data should earn trust, not just enable targeting. That means being transparent about what’s collected and why, while giving patients real control over their information. Data should simplify the experience by highlighting what’s relevant and filtering out what isn’t, rather than just creating more messages. Personalization without consent and clarity isn’t personalization, it’s surveillance with better branding.
4. Where do you see the greatest opportunity for AI to improve patient education without losing the human connection?
AI’s biggest opportunity is handling the volume and translation work. It should be responsible for turning dense clinical information into plain language, in a patient’s own language, and available on demand. We must ensure that human time gets reserved for what humans do best: empathy, judgment, and answering the questions a patient is actually afraid to ask. AI should be the bridge to the conversation, not a replacement for it.
5. Many organizations struggle with information overload. How can technology help deliver the right educational content at the right moment in a patient’s journey?
This is where journey-based, trigger-driven content matters more than content volume. Technology should know that a newly diagnosed patient needs something different at week one than at month three, and deliver small, relevant pieces at the right moment rather than everything all at once. Less, better-timed information almost always outperforms more information delivered all at once.
6. As healthcare becomes increasingly global, what considerations should organizations keep in mind when creating educational content for diverse populations?
Cultural relevance has to go deeper than translation. Health literacy levels, trust in institutions, family and community decision-making, as well as access to technology can vary widely across populations. Content that ignores these differences may be technically accurate but ineffective in practice. I’ve seen this firsthand working on health technology initiatives across Africa and the Caribbean: the content that works is designed with the community, not just translated for it.
7. What advice would you give healthcare leaders who want to improve patient engagement but feel overwhelmed by the pace of technological change?
Start with the patient problem you’re actually trying to solve, not the newest tool on the market. Pick one population or one journey, implement well, measure honestly, and expand from there. Leaders who chase every new technology end up with a patchwork of disconnected tools; leaders who solve one problem deeply build something patients actually trust.
8. Five years from now, what do you think the most successful patient engagement strategies will have in common?
They’ll be built on equity and trust as the foundation, not just personalization as a feature. The organizations that win will treat engagement as a relationship earned over time and use AI to expand access and human connection rather than replace it. They’ll also design for the populations that have historically been left out of “personalized” care because that’s where the greatest gains in health outcomes are still waiting to happen. By starting with the real needs of patients and using technology to support medical access, understanding, and human connection, healthcare organizations can establish lasting relationships with patients based on trust.
About Christopher Kunney
Christopher Kunney is a healthcare strategist and technologist with over 25 years of experience in healthcare innovation and digital transformation. His work focuses on using technology to improve patient engagement, healthcare delivery, and health outcomes.
About CARAVAN
CARAVAN Wellness is the #1 global leader in expert content solutions for health, wellness, workplace, financial care, and education. CARAVAN impacts millions of people by helping healthcare organizations, health plans, employers, and digital platforms educate, engage, and empower people with trusted expert content. At CARAVAN, we envision a world where everyone can access trusted education and resources, regardless of their age, income, or location. Learn more at caravanwellness.com
