The potential for digital health to reframe the role of compassion in patient experience innovation

Given the opportunities afforded by digital health, this chapter clarifies the relationship between compassionate care and digital health and, in doing so, makes a case for compassionate digital health. It demonstrates how, despite the increasing ubiquity of digital health and the decline of compassion, digital health has the potential to foster compassionate care. Digital health is arguably the most significant opportunity to improve health outcomes, make healthcare more accessible, reduce its cost and improve patient experience innovation, creating enthusiasm and unease in equal measure. The chapter explicates the associated implications for scholars, healthcare professionals, policymakers as well as patients and carers. The relationship between digital health and compassion is paradoxical. On the one hand, the widespread adoption of digital health may enhance compassionate care, while on the other hand, there is the potential for a detrimental impact on compassionate care.