We know it takes more than owning a smartphone, but what a foundation the device/tool provides us!
What’s in your scrolling? Are there any health information apps?
1990 – Steve Jobs’ Vision
A fascinating interview with Jobs in 1990 lays some groundwork for today’s HealthTech.
Jobs shared the personal impact of a 1973 study that measured the efficiency of locomotion across all species.
Not a commonly used word, locomotion – the movement or the ability to move from one place to another – yet a core element to existence and progress.
In the study, the locomotion of the human species (i.e. us) did not rank well.
The condor was at the top for the least energy to move a kilometer; humans were a third down the list.
But, the study also included a follow-up test performed by Scientific America that measured the efficiency of a human on a bicycle which “blew the condor away”, as well as jet transportation, horses, and more.
Jobs’ concluding statement which, in both spirit and intention, found its way 17 years after the interview into the release of the smartphone …
“And that’s what a computer is to me … it’s the most remarkable tool that we’ve ever come up with, and it’s the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds.”
Here is a video of the 1990 interview. The famous line, spoken by the legend, occurs at the 1m 15sec mark.
Today’s Announcement – ONC’s Elevated Status
Past newsletters describe the daily impact on “We The Patients” by the ONC (Office of the National Coordinator for Information Technology) – ensuring the secure and non-blocked flow patient of health data, among other major pursuits.
Today the 20-year-old ONC announced the new ASTP/ONC, an “expand[ed] role by adding a fourth office, the Office of the Chief Technology Officer, which will include the Office of the Chief AI Officer, Office of the Chief Data Officer, and a new Office of Digital Services.
Micky Tripathi, now an HHS Assistant Secretary, posted an informative update about the mission expansion which includes this summary: “In addition to our ongoing work in health IT, we will now lead HHS technology and data policy and strategy to help ensure that our complex and multi-faceted department continues to be more than the sum of its parts.”
This is really good news for patients, caregivers and the health industry.
Remember: the ONC is part of HHS (Department of Health and Human Services) which is the largest provider of health coverage in the US (i.e. Medicare and Medicaid).
Impacting Everyone – Another ONC Announcement
A few days ago the (now) ASTP/ONC provided this headline:
Click on Brendan Keeler’s headline (above) for a modern-day example of the bicycle of the mind traveling the HealthTech path to improving patient care and engagement.
Value –> We The Patients
One could say there is a chicken/egg situation in HealthTech between the technology and the ASTP/ONC (again: part of HSS, the largest US payer of health care).
But where the chicken and egg also cross paths is in the emerging delivery of value-based care rolling towards impacting all Medicare and Medicaid patients in 2030 – 6 short years from now. Hint: if you’re a provider or managed care organization still struggling with reducing re-admits (transitional care), it’s time to tighten up the processes.
A big push in the 2030 goal is education – providers and patients. The fact that patient education has started really catches my attention.
The CMS/CMMI Basics of Value-based Care website is a good review for patients, caregivers, and the health industry. If you click, look for the tab on Patient & Provider Voices.
The Value-based Care for Providers website came online earlier this year, as did the patient resource.
Your Role in the Evolving Healthcare Landscape
Whether you’re personally invested (at some point we are all a patient), a caregiver, or professionally engaged (health care is 17.3% of the GDP), staying informed about emerging patient technologies and practices is crucial, and interesting.
Subscribe to stay updated on the latest in patient-related healthcare technology and engagement.
After all, it’s all about We The Patients, right?
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