Healthcare costs too much. Patients are dissatisfied. Physicians are dissatisfied. Insurance companies have too much control--patients and doctors too little. Medical records are scattered. Too little information is available. Too much information is available. The physician workforce is shrinking. So, what's the good news? Internet savvy patients, doctors, and other innovative stakeholders are making strides in addressing some of these problems in ways that may become the basis for how healthcare is practiced in the future.
Many clinicians have overestimated the risks of online health resources to their patients and underestimated the benefits. E-healthcare may be one of the most important cultural medical revolutions of this century, and the majority of physicians are not savvy enough to operate in this emerging culture. Our future physicians will likely have the benefit of growing up immersed in the internet social and electronic culture, and hopefully with the skills to follow in the footsteps of the pioneers
The e-patient. More and more, people are seeking healthcare online. They research their medical problems on a variety of web-based medical sites (e.g., WebMD); they blog and use social networks to share with and learn from others with similar health conditions or interests. Patients in force are abandoning traditional methods for obtaining medical advice and even treatment plans (i.e., physicians office) in favor of the more on-demand options that the internet offers. The e-patient has a personal health record. The e-patient requires a non-traditional approach to healthcare. The e-patient is extremely active in their own medical care and requires a collaborative relationship with their physicians. E-patients are blogging and using social networks to share with and learn from others who have similar conditions or interests, and have been for several years. Our current base of healthcare professionals seem blissfully unaware of the impact that the e-patient might have on the skills they will need to best serve their patients in the near and far future. The general population seems to be light years ahead in taking advantage of the benefits of the burgeoning social and collaborative electronic culture and tools than our medical professionals. The net friendliness of clinicians and provider organizations is becoming an important new aspect of healthcare quality.
The e-doctor. Unfortunately, the e-doctor is a much more rare species that the e-patient, as the medical community is often slower to adopt changes that the general population readily embrace. There are some pioneers and early adopters who are empowering and enabling their patients and themselves by embracing trends and adopting technologies to provide a higher quality of patient care and experience. In addition to encouraging the e-patient as a collaborator and an informed partner in their own healthcare, the e-doctor is a pioneer, often abandoning traditional structures that act as barriers (e.g., insurance reimbursements, traditional office visits, overhead, etc.). In his practice, the e-doctor is in direct contact with patients, taking advantage of text messaging, email, and social media in order to facilitate treatment and education of their patients. The e-doctor utilizes cost effective options when running his practice and provides cost effective choices for patients.
Hey I think I've spotted one! Have a look and listen to Jay Parkinson of Hello Health describe his innovative approach to healthcare.
Jay Parkinson, Hello Health from Health 2.0 on Vimeo.
