Profit & Purpose: Disrupting Human Service Programs
Human service programs are “The broad range of federal, state, and local governmental and private programs designed to improve the health, stability, safety, and economic self-sufficiency of individuals and families.” (1) Some examples of human service programs include include mental health clinics child welfare agencies, programs for the disabled and aging, employment support programs, income support programs, drug and mental health programs, and homeless shelters.
Although these programs are integral for our society, they are often times inefficient and ineffective. Although there are many causes for this lack of efficiency, a dearth of innovation tops the list. Here, we will discuss some areas of opportunity within human service programs (and the broader landscape) that are ripe for innovation.
1. Difficulty in Obtaining Identity Documents
Many people lack basic documents including birth certificates, IDs, and social security cards. This issue is particularly relevant for people that are homeless. Unfortunately, these documents are necessary for obtaining basic services such as a bank account, a place to live, and even obtaining services at a hospital.
Digital solutions for verifying identity have started to arise and will disrupt this space. For example, Clearme (2) helps people to get to their gate faster by verifying their identity through biometrics such as their eyes and face.
Another potential solution to this is through the blockchain. In fact, researchers at the University of Texas are using the blockchain to address the issue of lack of documents in those that are homeless (3). Verifying our identiy through digital solutions and biometrics is the future and a great area of opportunity for entrepreneurs.
2. Storage of Secure Documentation
It’s time to stop storing our secure documents in a manilla folder in our mother’s basement. We need methods for simply and securely storing our documentation. Some people may store these documents on platforms such as OneDrive, but there are opportunities for companies specializing in security and that are specifically targeting the storage and obtainment of these documents.
3. Obtaining services
Picture this: Your mother is aging and needs long-term care resources. You contact the local aging organization and, despite multiple attempts, get nowhere. On the fourth try, you reach their voicemail. You leave a voicemail and are called back one week later (or never).
Obtaining services is, at its core, a simple concept.
Someone requires a product or service, reaches out to an organization providing the product or service, and arranges a way to obtain the product or service. For example, a patient can schedule her dental appointment or a person can order books through Amazon.
Yet many businesses, in particular in the human services field, have trouble with this. While there are many reasons for this, one of the reasons is a lethargic approach to the adoption of innovation.
People must be able to obtain a service or product easily and conveniently, whether that product is a book from Amazon or food-stamps from the local government organization.
4. Documentation
People who work in human service systems have to do a lot of documentation. Whether the person is a doctor, social worker, or mental health therapist, this documentation can take up to 15% of the person’s day (over 1 hour for each working day).
There should be a better, faster, and more efficient ways to document. And there are. Companies such as Dragon (4) are reputedly “3x faster than typing and 99% accurate”. Although voice recognition is already being used in some settings, there does not seem to be widespread adoption. Why?
Imagine if the extra hour can be used on working directly with clients and providing better care. Imagine if technology can reduce the drudgery of documentation to enable jobs to be more fulfilling and human-centered.
5. Nurses still distribute medication?
Picture this. You are a client in a hospital and are receiving anti-depressant medication. The medication was prescribed by the primary care doctor, picked up by the social worker from the pharmacy at your local CVS and given to the nurse, who will now give you the medication.
You enter the nurse’s office, which is replete with batches of medication in every crevice. She shuffles through her office, trying to find your pill box.
There are many pain points here. Why is the social worker still picking up medication from CVS? There are businesses that can deliver medication, yet many systems are not utilizing them. Why is the nurse giving you medication? Can this process not be automated to be both safer and more effective?
The average salary of a nurse assistant is $30,000 and the average salary for a nurse is $77,000. Economically, practically, and safety-wise, there is must room for improvement in this service-delivery model.
6. Lack of service coordination and continuity
What medical services did you obtain as a child? How about last year?
If you are like most people, the medical services that you received in the past are probably not documented. This creates problems and inefficiencies as having a cohesive picture of our medical services is a necessary part of care.
For example, John walks into an allergist and tells the doctor about some recent symptoms he has been experiencing. The doctor asks John if he has ever received care for his allergies before. John knows that he received services as a teenager, but is unable to recall what services specifically. And so the process begins anew.
This lack of service continuity and coordination is also evident in marginalized populations such as in those that are homeless. Although these people may move from state to state, city to city, or even neighborhood to neighborhood, there is largely a dearth of documentation. Different providers in different neighborhoods, cities, and states may use different software that function in siloes. New York City has begun to combat this siloed approach through their “Street Smart” software (5)
7. Bonus: Digital Paperwork
Many human service agencies still use paper for documentation. Yet many regulations exist outlining that paper documentation must be stored for minimum amounts of time before it is shredded. In some states and settings, this can be up to 7 or 8 years. This results in large cabinets stuffed with confidential information and tape written across stating “Save for 7 years”. There is a large opportunity here to help agencies transition into digital documentation.
Sources
1. http://www.innovationlabs.com/whitecenter/00_pre_event/CaseyDiscDraft1.pdf
2. https://www.clearme.com/how-it-works/)
4. https://www.nuance.com/dragon/support/dragon-naturallyspeaking.html
