As virtual consultations, AI-driven diagnostics, and wearable health devices gain traction, healthcare is becoming increasingly connected. Yet, these advancements raise a critical question: Are digital tools truly enhancing patient care, or are they creating a new kind of divide?

In a recent California Management Review Insight article, ISB's PGP Co '25 student Suhani Gupta and Vijaya Sunder M, Assistant Professor, Practice, Operations Management, delve into this dilemma. Through three patient journey use cases, they reveal how innovation in healthcare offers personalisation and accessibility, but also poses a divide, undermining trust and detaching patients from providers.

The authors propose a patient-centered digital integration framework—a guide for healthcare leaders to integrate technology effectively while preserving human connection and strengthening trust.