Personalisation in Healthcare: Why a One-Size-Fits-All Approach No Longer Works

From generic leaflets handed out at discharge to standardised care pathways, much of our health communication and support has followed a one-size-fits-all approach. But as we confront the growing complexity of long-term conditions and multimorbidity, alongside health inequalities, it is clear that this approach is holding us back.

The shift towards personalisation in healthcare is about more than tailoring treatment plans. It encompasses how we deliver information, how we engage patients in their own care, and how we support the networks around them – family, carers, and community services. People don’t experience illness in a vacuum. Their understanding of their condition, their ability to manage symptoms, and their access to services are shaped by a web of social, emotional, and practical factors. For care to be effective, it must reflect this reality.

We see this clearly in the context of long-term conditions. Patients with Long Covid, stroke survivors, and people managing multiple chronic conditions often report feeling overwhelmed and under-supported, particularly after leaving acute care settings. Despite the best efforts of healthcare professionals, many are left navigating complex care journeys with fragmented support and minimal continuity. Information is often too generic, poorly times, or delivered in ways that don’t match a person’s cognitive or emotional readiness to engage.

At Pogo Digital Healthcare, we have worked closely with NHS teams, researchers, and third-sector organisations to develop Tailored Talks – a digital communication tool designed to provide the right information to the right person at the right time. It doesn’t replace the role of the a clinician, but enhances the quality of conversations and ensures that patients are provided information that is specific to them: their condition, their goals, their context.

This approach has implications not just for patient experience, but for health outcomes. When people feel seen, heard, and equipped with relevant knowledge, they are more likely to take an active role in their care. They are more likely to adhere to treatment plans, recognise when to seek help, and engage meaningfully with rehabilitation.

The NHS Long Term Plan makes a clear commitment to personalisation. Yet to realise this vision at scale, we need to move beyond policy and invest in tools and pathways that make personalisation practical, efficient, and sustainable in everyday clinical settings.