Health 2.0 What are we really building?

ICMCC Newspage » Blog Archive » Health 2.0 What are we really building?

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:28:04 GMT

PingBack from http://articles.icmcc.org/wpc/?p=3532

re: Health 2.0 What are we really building?

Thomas Schwieterman MD — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:09:01 GMT

I agree with your assessment, Dr Crounse. The Health 2.0 movement will only be effective and achieve its full potential if it can be woven into the fabric of mainstream medical care systems. I also agree that the antiquated reimbursement models are not helping. It appears that Microsoft understands this with your Healthvault platform where information can be amalgamated from Health 2.0 sources as well as the more traditional, physician directed sources.

At Midmark, we provide much of the infrastructure for 92% of office exam rooms across the country and are looking to ways to facilitate the Health 2.0 movement.

At recent Health 2.0 conferences, the role of the physician and medical office has been somewhat minimized. I hope that will change. Without their support and buy-in, the power of these technology will fall short of expectations.

Thomas Schwieterman MD

re: Health 2.0 What are we really building?

hlthblog — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:22:50 GMT

Thanks for writing, Tom. Keep up the good work. We need to have every player in the vast ecosystem of care engaged in driving innovation and change in the industry.

Bill Crounse, MD

re: Health 2.0 What are we really building?

Sandra J. Barton, M.D. — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:47:58 GMT

It's really so simple: physicians' offices need to be paid by insurers for three additional products beyond office visits: 1) phone calls or video calls between doctors and patients, 2) emails between doctors and patients, and 3) RN-to-patient telephone advice calls (which generally have MD input). Just simply paying for these three items would decrease demand for office visits, and would go a long way toward ending our current "hamster wheel healthcare" and toward deemphasizing the office visit appointment as the only way to access care. Sandra Barton, M.D., Kaiser Permanente, Portland OR

re: Health 2.0 What are we really building?

hlthblog — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:59:41 GMT

I couldn't agree more, Dr. Barton. And organizations like Kaiser and Group Health are blazing the eHealth trail much faster than others. I'm encouraged that payers and government leaders are beginning to see the light, but we obviously have much more to do before such services are widely available and encouraged.

Thanks for your thoughtful comment.

Bill Crounse, MD