The Future Patient
John Duffield is the only technologist to survive back-to-back open-heart surgeries. AI became his lifeline.
Two major surgeries. 20 days. One voice for the future.
From Patient to Pioneer
John Duffield is living proof that AI is the future of the patient experience.
John Duffield is patient, marketing technologist, speaker, and entrepreneur helping healthcare and hospitality companies reach their preferred tomorrows sooner. A trusted advisor to top brands like Novartis, Merck, Hilton, and Boeing, he connects AI, creativity, and immersive experiences to drive meaningful change. John focuses on innovation strategy to help shape the next generation of healthcare.After surviving two unexpected open-heart surgeries, John didn’t just recover, he rewired how patients engage with healthcare. Using AI at every step of his journey, from diagnosis and decision-making to recovery and resilience...he turned fear into focus, confusion into clarity, and complexity into confidence.Today, John brings a rare and essential combination to the table: the emotional truth of a patient, the precision of a strategist, and the foresight of a healthcare futurist. His lived experience and innovation background give him the unique ability to see around corners—helping healthcare leaders anticipate what’s next, not just react to what is.John helps healthcare companies:
See healthcare through the eyes of a patient who’s also a builder and strategist
Unlock the emotional and practical power of AI in real-world care
Design with empathy, clarity, and the future in mind
Keynotes & Speaking
Bringing the authentic patient voice to healthcare conferences, leadership teams, and innovation forums.
The Transformation Button: Today is 1yr Since My First Open-Heart Surgery
The Future Patient: Patients Like Me Aren’t Waiting for the Future of Healthcare
Emotional translation: How AI helped me talk to my children about my heart surgery
AI as a Lifeline: How I Lived the Future Patient Experience
AI found the connection between two health conditions that no human clinician could.
AI as a Lifeline: A first-hand account of using AI for unmatched patient advocacy.
Articles at TheFuturePatient
The Future Patient is a blog by patient survivor John Duffield who used AI to navigate, understand, and emotionally survive a complex medical journey.
Readers can expect personal stories, practical tools, and strategic insights on how AI can empower patients, improve communication, and transform the care experience. It’s a must-read for anyone: patient, caregiver, or clinician who believes healthcare should be more human, more connected, and more forward-thinking.
Hearts & Algorithms
John translates his personal health journey from the emotional rollercoaster, into a practical, empathetic AI tool that acts as a 24/7 personal health companion.
Hearts & Algorithms is an AI-powered care companion designed to support patients and caregivers through complex medical journeys, starting with cardiac care. It sits between appointments and alongside clinical teams, helping patients understand what is happening, prepare for what is next, and manage the emotional and cognitive burden they face.Built from John and others' lived patient experience and refined through real-world use, Hearts & Algorithms provides continuous, stage-aware guidance that improves patient comprehension and confidence.
Continuous patient support between visits: Provides 24/7, stage-aware guidance that adapts to where a patient is in their journey.
Cognitive load reduction for care teams: Answers reassurance and clarification questions, helping reduce inbound calls, portal messages, and unnecessary escalations
Preparation for better clinical conversations: Helps patients organize questions, understand tradeoffs, and arrive at appointments more prepared
Designed for safety, scope, and trust: Purpose-built for a narrow, high-stakes use case with clear boundaries, escalation awareness, and alignment to clinical workflows.
Vital Signs
The signals that matter... these are reflections from leaders across healthcare, technology, and design who’ve seen what happens when lived experience meets bold, future-facing insight.
"We were on the edge of our seats listening to John Duffield describe that he felt he was "living proof that AI is the future of the patient experience."
Gail Horwood Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer, Novartis US
"This moves me so much brother. Grateful for your open-book/open-heart mojo."
Mike Bechtel
Chief Futurist - Deloitte Consulting
"Thank you for allowing DASI Simulations to be part of your journey!!!"
Teri Sirset
Founder & CEO DASI Simulations
"Outstanding information John. I appreciate your committment to help others. I wish this type of technology was available to me me before my surgery."
Robert Betcher
Heart Transplant Recipient, Lax For Life, Marnel, Pfizer
"John, I loved hearing your story at our most recent Leadership Meeting in LA. The journey you and your family have been on is nothing short of amazing."
Chuck Dent
Senior Area Business Leader, Women's Cancer (Breast) at Novartis Oncology
"Thanks for sharing your journey with our team, John! Absolutely incredible what you’ve done and how you’ve used your story to encourage others."
Janneta Tabakov
Enterprise Growth, Perplexity
Book John
If you’re seeking someone who brings both lived experience and future-forward insight, this is where the conversation begins. Through keynotes, panels, and select collaborations, John can show how AI, empathy, and strategy are reshaping the patient experience.
