The explosion of human services technology is changing how services are delivered. Digital is the latest force in this revolution. Digitally delivered services will play an increasing role in meeting the needs of people who depend on the social safety net.
Because some digital services are consumer-driven and interactive, the authentic voices of digitally enabled health and human service consumers are starting to be heard without muffling their stories or minimizing their challenges.
The market penetration of the smartphone among disadvantaged populations is high. Visit a human service agency’s waiting room. Consumers are accessing information, listening to music and connecting with friends through their various devices while they wait.
But when it comes to service delivery, is the human service community as digital as its consumers?
This article written by Howard H. Hendrick, director of Human Services Business Strategy at Accenture, originally appeared in the April 2014 issue of Policy & Practice.
Comment submitted
Submitted comment may not display automatically.