DGTL Voices with Ed Marx

Episode: The Power of Patient Voice (ft. Adam Cherrington)

Date: December 4, 2025
Host: Ed Marx
Guest: Adam Cherrington, VP of Digital Health, KLAS Research

Episode Overview

In this warm, insightful episode, Ed Marx sits down with Adam Cherrington to explore the power and importance of the patient’s voice in healthcare. Their conversation weaves through Adam’s personal journey—his faith, family, and career—into a compelling argument for centering patients’ needs and perspectives in digital health innovation. Special attention is given to leadership, vulnerability, and the lessons learned from real-life encounters with the healthcare system.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Adam Cherrington: Personal & Professional Background

• Family and Values

  • Adam shares the centrality of his family: married to Janet for 29 years, parent to four children and one "bonus daughter," and grandparent to two (01:25).
  • Faith is a cornerstone. Adam is a 6th-generation member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which deeply influences his perspective and work ethic (05:11).
  • “The glue that holds everything together” is how Adam describes his wife (01:34).

• Personal Mantra from Scripture

  • Adam recites a passage from the Book of Mormon, emphasizing service and education—ideals he strives toward in both personal life and healthcare (03:47).
  • Notable quote:

    “Succor means to run, to give aid to. And aren’t we in a wonderful industry where people think that way, behave that way? That scripture does not describe me. That describes what I aspire to do.” (04:31)

• Missionary Experience

  • He recounts his transformative two years in Santiago, Chile, citing immersion in another culture as foundational to his empathy and adaptability (05:45)-(08:54).

2. Life-Defining Moments

• Janet’s Breast Cancer Journey
  • The moment of his wife’s diagnosis shifted the meaning of “patient engagement” from abstract to deeply personal (09:42).
  • Initial communication from healthcare providers was limited, leading to anxiety and difficulty (10:30).
    • Notable quote:

      “All I heard was carcinoma...your mind goes to the worst possible scenarios with lack of information.” (10:31)

  • Their surgeon’s compassionate, thorough approach restored hope and demonstrated the power of patient-centered care (11:03).
  • Empowerment in healthcare: Sometimes the “right” answer comes from shared decision-making and support, not just clinical expertise (11:35).

3. Professional Influences and Shifting Beliefs

• Early Career at Franklin Covey

  • Exposure to “principles in business” such as trust, character, and the concept that “you can’t fake character”—formative for his leadership style (13:07)-(14:03).

• Entering Healthcare and KLAS’s Mission

  • Inspiration to prioritize patient voice crystallized during a conference:

    "It’s an oxymoron to call it patient engagement and not involve the patient." (Adrienne Boissy of Cleveland Clinic, as quoted by Adam) (15:19)

  • Comparison to consumer product development, where user input is vital, and the recognition that healthcare has lagged but is now improving (16:00).
  • Key principle:

    “You have to include the patient’s perspective or you’re missing a huge opportunity.” (15:37)

• Shifting Perspectives on Authority

  • Adam reflects on moving from a belief in the infallibility of doctors to a model of shared responsibility and active patient engagement (16:34).
  • “We have to own our own journey… The family and the caregivers and the community and the church that you’re part of, they’re so influential in healing.” (17:18)

4. The Work of KLAS Research

• Core Mission and Approach

  • KLAS is likened to "Consumer Reports for healthcare," interviewing leaders to rate technologies and share insights to inform decision-making (19:08).
  • KLAS’s non-prescriptive stance:

    “We just say, here's the data related to those and may it guide and influence your decision appropriately.” (20:40)

• Surprising Research Findings

  • Patients with lower income or education sometimes rate healthcare technology higher—challenging common assumptions (21:44).
  • Insights from current projects:
    • Patients show hesitancy using AI for diagnosis but welcome digital tools for simpler tasks (22:52).
    • Despite AI’s hype, over half of health systems had not yet implemented AI by early 2025 (23:41).
    • Notable quote:

      “We can all take a deep breath and know, okay, let’s get some principles in place, let’s get some governance in place... We’re not buying hammers to go hit something.” (23:41)

5. Leadership, Vulnerability, and Success

• Servant Leadership and Empowerment

  • Lessons in leadership involve humility and support: “If we assume we’re the only one that knows, we’re probably missing an opportunity to grow.” (24:33)
  • Real empowerment is about vision and supporting others, not projection of oneself onto the team (25:34).

• Refueling Creativity

  • Adam seeks alignment by returning to stakeholders—patients and caregivers—when creativity or vision runs thin (26:05).

• Defining Success

  • Early career focus on titles shifted to a focus on influence, impact, and service: “Having a title and having influence are not always the same thing.” (27:00)
  • Memorable moment:

    Adam commends Ed for his servant leadership, reinforcing the theme of genuine connection and service in healthcare (27:43).

6. Slowing Down for the One

• Final Reflection on Compassion and Focus
  • Adam recounts a recent sermon, paralleling the Gospel story of Jesus pausing to help an individual in need—“slowing down to take time for the One”—a metaphor for patient-centered care (29:26).
    • Notable quote:

      “In our busy world, can we slow down and focus on the One?” (30:47)

  • Adam celebrates the spirit of collaboration and willingness to share in healthcare, his “favorite thing” about the industry (30:20).

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• “Succor means to run, to give aid to. And aren’t we in a wonderful industry where people think that way, behave that way? That scripture does not describe me. That describes what I aspire to do.”
  – Adam Cherrington, (04:31)

• “It’s an oxymoron to call it patient engagement and not involve the patient.”
  – Quoting Adrienne Boissy, as cited by Adam Cherrington, (15:19)

• “All I heard was carcinoma...your mind goes to the worst possible scenarios with lack of information.”
  – Adam Cherrington, (10:31)

• “Having a title and having influence are not always the same thing.”
  – Adam Cherrington, (27:00)

• “In our busy world, can we slow down and focus on the One?”
  – Adam Cherrington, (30:47)

Notable Moments & Timestamps

• Adam’s musical tastes and “Crowded Table” philosophy – (02:21)
• Personal mantra rooted in scripture – (03:39)
• Life-changing impact of wife’s cancer diagnosis – (09:42)
• Pivot to including patient voice in research – (15:19)
• Surprise findings in patient experience research (lower income/education rating tech higher) – (21:44)
• Patients’ trust/distrust on AI in healthcare – (22:52)
• Leadership through empowerment, not projection – (25:34)
• Closing story: slowing down for the individual in healthcare – (29:26)

Episode Flow

1. Introduction and Personal Insights (00:17–05:00)

   • Host/guest relationship, family, faith, and life mottos.

2. Formative Life Experiences (05:00–09:41)

   • Upbringing, missionary work, embracing diversity and service.

3. Intersection of Life and Healthcare (09:41–12:32)

   • Navigating healthcare as a family; importance of compassionate providers.

4. Professional Growth and the Patient Voice (12:32–16:11)

   • Lessons from Franklin Covey, joining KLAS, and learning from industry leaders.

5. Transformation of Beliefs and Leadership Lessons (16:11–18:42)

   • From “doctor knows best” to shared responsibility; advocacy for patient voices.

6. Explaining KLAS, Its Purpose, and Findings (19:08–24:11)

   • KLAS as a data-driven, independent evaluator; recent research discoveries.

7. Leadership and Personal Development (24:11–28:06)

   • Exploring vulnerability, creativity, and redefining success in leadership.

8. Conclusion and Final Insights (29:26–30:57)

   • The necessity of focusing on individuals within the complexity of healthcare; the industry’s collaborative nature.

Summary Takeaways

• The patient voice is essential—not a luxury—in healthcare innovation.
• Personal experience with healthcare (especially as a caregiver) can radically deepen professional passion for empathy and improvement.
• True leadership is servant-hearted, humble, and rooted in empowering others.
• Surprising data often emerges when real patients are asked about their needs; assumptions must always be tested.
• In a complex industry, slowing down to focus on the individual can have the greatest impact—both for patients and professionals.

For further information about KLAS or Adam Cherrington, refer to the show notes.