Frank Harvey, Chief Executive Officer for Surescripts.
We hear daily about breakthroughs in healthcare, especially with AI. Like so many people, it’s a topic I’m thinking about a lot these days. And for good reason—AI holds the potential to transform care delivery in profound ways we’ve not thought of yet.
But amid this excitement, we risk overlooking a fundamental truth: Innovation in healthcare means little if patients can’t access it.
We must pursue not only revolutionary breakthroughs but also innovations that solve foundational problems.
Access To Innovation Can Be Life Changing
More than half of U.S. adults worry about affording their prescription medications. About one in five have not filled medications due to cost, and about one in seven patients have cut pills or skipped doses to ration them. This can lead to worse care for patients. We know that the most expensive medication is the one the patient never picks up and never takes.
Patient assistance programs aim to help. But many rely on outdated systems—like manual phone calls and faxes—to verify benefits. Phone calls can go unanswered, and fax machines from the 1990s can be unreliable. Even AI agents are bogged down by these antiquated technologies, which benefit verification tools rely on today. These delays can leave patients waiting for weeks, sometimes months, while their health deteriorates.
But companies like mine and others in the industry are already using technology to address this. Solutions like real-time, digital benefit verification can replace faxes and robocalls—getting patients the medications they need faster.
Addressing A Fragmented System Of Care
A recent report by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy shows that patients are increasingly offered and accessing their health information via a digital platform, with 65% of individuals doing so nationally in 2024. Among those managing a recent cancer diagnosis, that number rose to 75%.
Yet some of our most innovative organizations—life sciences companies capable of developing groundbreaking treatments and cures—remain disconnected from this digital ecosystem. Their patient access programs, in particular, are often left out of the broader network of connected care.
In today’s healthcare landscape, seamless interoperability and efficient digital information sharing are no longer optional—they’re essential. This is where focused innovation across the industry can make a real difference. And it requires, more importantly, collaboration among different—and sometimes disparate—parts of the healthcare ecosystem.
When my organization asked prescribers and pharmacists in a recent survey how they would spend an extra hour each week, most indicated that they would spend it providing direct patient care.
By collaborating to remove administrative barriers, life science and other healthcare companies can deliver support more efficiently. For example, case managers can verify benefits in real time, rather than chasing down faxes or waiting on hold. This means case managers can spend more time guiding patients and making sure they can start treatment without unnecessary delays.
Collaborating Intentionally
Taking deliberate action, like learning about the specific challenges facing other parts of healthcare, talking to colleagues about what they are experiencing or making a point to meet with peers in different sectors, are key steps to developing a greater understanding of the problems that need to be addressed.
It’s an important reminder that healthcare works better when we work together. And working together can meaningfully impact the quality and accessibility of care for patients. Ultimately, impactful innovation isn’t just about what’s possible—it’s often about what’s accessible.
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