In an episode of the HealthBiz Podcast, Dr. Aasim Saeed, CEO and founder of Amenities Health, shared insights on the challenges and opportunities facing healthcare providers today. Hosted by David Williams, this engaging conversation explored Dr. Saeed's journey from a family of physicians through an unconventional career path to his commitment to revolutionizing healthcare with Amenities Health—a platform inspired by consumer giants like Amazon and Costco.
Summary
Dr. Saeed’s mission with Amenities Health centers on transforming the patient experience through an innovative Digital Front Door, designed to streamline and personalize healthcare access. He highlighted that many healthcare systems are using the same basic tools, like the EPIC patient portal, yet often fail to create meaningful differentiation in patient experience. Amenities Health aims to change that by offering a consumer-grade platform that integrates scheduling, provider search, and membership options to build long-lasting patient loyalty.
Key Takeaways
The Importance of Experience: Dr. Saeed believes that healthcare should embrace the consumer-centric approach seen in other industries. Amenities Health is built on the premise that better patient experiences can drive loyalty and profitability, similar to how memberships and customer-focused features are essential for brands like Amazon.
- Open Scheduling and Access: One of Dr. Saeed's core focuses is simplifying access to care by enabling open scheduling. He emphasizes that healthcare should be as convenient as booking a haircut or ordering online, where patients can easily schedule an appointment with their chosen provider.
- Beyond Technology—Addressing Operational Gaps: While technology plays a vital role, Dr. Saeed points out that operational changes are equally necessary. For example, opening schedules for primary care is a crucial step that many health systems overlook, impacting the usability of their digital tools.
- Membership Models for Healthcare: Inspired by Amazon Prime’s success, Dr. Saeed advocates for membership models that offer patients added peace of mind, such as a “No Surprise Billing” guarantee. He sees this approach as a way to reshape how health systems think about patient loyalty and retention.
- Practical Applications of AI: Although the industry is abuzz with AI, Dr. Saeed cautions against unrealistic expectations. Instead, he suggests focusing AI on mundane but impactful tasks like scheduling optimization to enhance both patient and provider experiences.
Click below to view the full conversation and dive deeper into Dr. Saeed's thoughts on healthcare innovation, memberships, and digital transformation.
