As written in the last column, the national conversation about health care reform in the United States has been largely driven by fear, misinformation and politics. This means that it is stupid conversations, largely defined by what your special interest is, whether you are Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal. How sad and embarrassing. One of the reasons to write "The New Health Age: The Future of Health Care in America" with my co-author Jonathan Fleece was to bring intelligence to this national conversation.
As I speak to audiences across this country and on radio interview programs, I attempt to provide easy ways to think about what is about to happen to the landscape of health care, regardless of what the Supreme Court will rule on the current law of the land. Here is perhaps the easiest way to think about what is about to happen.
The entire health care sector represents about 18% of the GDP of the United States. Round that number up to 20%. Now, let's think about how you experience and act in the 80% of our economy that is not health care or medicine. Here are some questions for you to answer:
-Do you expect to find information when you want it – 24/7?
-Are most of your documents kept electronically, in electronic files for access anytime you want them?
-Do you keep information, pictures or any type of content – such as your Facebook account – online or in the cloud?
-Do you have easy access to all your personal information?
-Do you conduct business online from wherever you are, such as online banking or online shopping?
-Do you communicate with important people in your life via text messaging or e-mails?
-Have you experienced an ever-lowering of the cost of technology and the connectivity that connects us to it?
I would think that you answered as least some of these questions in the affirmative. Okay, now go back to these questions and think about your current experience when dealing with today's health care system. Ask yourself:
-Do you expect to find your medical information when you want it -24/7?
-Do you have easy access to all your personal medical information?
-Do you communicate with your health care provider via text messaging or e-mails?
-Have you experienced an ever-lowering of the cost of technology and connectivity relative to your health care?
Simply stated, the realities you now accept, and in fact insist on in the 80% of our economy that is not health care, are not readily available in the 20% that is.
Think about the possibility that a family member or a friend is diagnosed with cancer. Can you go online and compare the "past performance" of successful treatments from the cancer centers where you live? You can with mutual funds. Why not with cancer? You will be able to in the New Health Age.
Think about the reality that 100,000 people die every year due to mistakes in hospitals, largely from preventable infections. Wouldn't you like to know which hospitals make the most mistakes before you decide where to go? You will be able to in the New Health Age.
Do you demand a reality of being able to make a choice by price comparison and past performance? Of course you do! Do you ask for a warranty on parts and labor? Of course you do! Can you do this with the current health care system? No you can't.
So, health care reform in the United States in this New Health Age is largely about bringing the connectivity, transparency, digitization, and the competitive market to the health care sector of the United States economy.
Granted this is a simple high level look at what is about to happen with health care in the New Health Age, but it is going to happen. Any questions?
David Houle is a futurist, strategist and speaker. He has always been slightly ahead of the curve. Houle spent more than 20 years in media and entertainment. Most recently, David is a featured contributor to Oprah.com. Check is out here www.oprah.com/davidhoule. David can be contacted at David@DavidHoule.com.
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