The Year of the Connected Provider

The Year of the Connected Provider

In 2016, what does it means to be a “connected” provider? For one thing, it means adapting to the technological advancements and increasing demands for efficiency that come with health systems integration. But it also means embracing and benefiting from exciting new thinking and rapid-fire innovations that are redefining healthcare as connected digital care. 

Big health challenges are helping to drive connected digital care, including an aging population, the consequent rise in chronic and lifestyle disease and cost pressures affecting the entire healthcare continuum. Big aspirations fueled by consumer demand are also driving us forward in this area. 

For example, data shows that 71 percent of physicians have already adopted EHRs (electronic health records), and connected devices and other cloud-based technologies have shown a reduction in health system repair time by 50 percent. That’s a challenge pushing paradigm shift. Meanwhile, 70 percent of patients report being comfortable communicating with their healthcare providers via text, email or video, and 71 percent of millennials would like their doctors to use mobile apps. That’s patients telling us what they want. Together, our challenges and aspirations are speeding connected care to the very forefront of our industry. (Survey data available here

In talking with providers who are living the reality of connected digital health, we’re finding them doing far more than responding to the challenges of the changing healthcare landscape. In fact, becoming connected is helping them achieving a whole new level of success. Philips’ Lumify, smart device ultrasound users, for example, are telling us that the ability to bring connected devices into their day-to-day practice is dramatically changing how they deliver care, enhance quality of care and improve outcomes. From lessoning wait time for other imaging solutions to addressing the issue at the bedside, they’re using connected devices and solutions to walk the talk of the connected digital health revolution.   

Of course, accepting connected digital health as the gold standard means we’re shifting more control into the hands of providers and patients. It will be interesting to see how these two move closer together via connected solutions – developing dynamic health partnerships that are the modern equivalent of the traditional, cherished doctor/patient relationship. The synergy is bound to inspire new uses for connected digital health solutions that we can only dream about right now.

Yet it wasn’t that long ago that we envisioned a distant world where it was possible to monitor patients from their homes or fit an ultrasound device in the palm of our hand. Now that the connected digital foundation is a reality, providers acting in partnership with patients will swiftly lead us to the next level of healthcare – and it will be a fully connected one.

Jacques Kpodonu MD,FACC

NIH funded Cardiac Surgeon Scientist @Harvard Medical School

7y

Great share Vitor Rocha

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