Most consumer and enterprise industries have already begun to enjoy the benefits of platform technologies, leaving behind legacy business models to enjoy improvements in user experience and value. The health and human services industry has been slow to take hold – particularly at the enterprise level – due to limitations in the underlying technology and a lack of focus on value as the driver.

Platform markets are typically comprised of an ecosystem of three key participants: content producers, content consumers, and the technology providers that support them. Network effects increase the value of the platform as it attracts more ecosystem participants into a virtuous cycle. The successful platforms of the health and human services industry will be focused around the triple aim of better population health, enhanced patient experience, and reduced costs while enabling a conglomerate of producers, providers, and consumers to flourish.

Unlike traditional software solutions which must be recoded to produce a change, a platform is configurable and embraces continuous innovation. Because of its radically agile nature, the platform business model uniquely enables community mental health providers to experiment with and adjust their care models with minimal turn-around time, ultimately leading to happier, healthier patients.