Technology drives change and that's easily visible in the healthcare space. Over the last several years we've seen the introduction and growth of electronic medical records (EMR), the adoption of telemedicine, and the truly remarkable ability to create 3D printed body parts. Looking forward, AI is poised to significantly disrupt healthcare as we know it today. This week's Domain Knowledge looks at the use of AI to drive more connected patient care and better patient outcomes. One of the biggest game-changers in healthcare is data, lots and lots of data.

While the term "healthcare consumerism" has been used since the 1930s, today the term refers to the importance of creating a more patient or consumer-centered experience. Patients want a more integrated, seamless healthcare experience that focuses on their particular needs. Artificial intelligence (A.I.), big tech, and big data give patients more transparency, more choice, and more flexibility across the healthcare ecosystem, which helps to facilitate a more positive healthcare experience. But the use of A.I. and machine learning to improve the patient experience, particularly and most importantly in treatment outcomes, begins long before the application of telemedicine, online appointment setting, digitalization, access to real-time information and price transparency, all of which are being used within the ecosystem with varying degrees of success. Where does healthcare consumerism really begin?

When rolling out new IT it's important to explain the reasoning behind a new implementation and ask for clinician input. When physicians feel like they are a cog in the wheel of implementation, they will resist.

Explore the value it delivers. Artificial intelligence (AI) has a lot of hype surrounding it -- and for good reason. Questions abound about the practical value for AI in today's health care world. Click through our interactive infographic to learn more about what AI is and how it is making an impact. Explore the opportunities where its applications can truly make a difference for both health care organizations and consumers.

Explore the value it delivers. Artificial intelligence (AI) has a lot of hype surrounding it -- and for good reason. Questions abound about the practical value for AI in today's health care world. Click through our interactive infographic to learn more about what AI is and how it is making an impact. Explore the opportunities where its applications can truly make a difference for both health care organizations and consumers.

It can be easy to forget when you are in a hospital, but hospitals are businesses and if you need care, you are a customer. The unique nature of hospitals creates dynamics that camouflage that fact - most "customers" would rather not be there, sometimes the customer isn't actually right, and surgeons don't really compete on price - but the fact remains, if you did not like your visit to the hospital down the road, you can leave a negative Yelp review. Hospitals and health care providers at large, are beginning to take notice of consumer choice. The internet has empowered patients to share their experiences, make recommendations, and guide future patients to institutions they found to be of good quality. Suddenly a problem that has harassed restaurant owners for years has found its way to the desks of hospital CEOs around the country.