Opinion Piece Says U.S. Poised for a Consumer Health 'Revolution'
November 10, 2011In a New York Times opinion piece, Frank Moss -- an entrepreneur and former director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab -- writes that the U.S. is in the early stages of the "next big technology-driven revolution, which I call 'consumer health.'"
He adds that the trend "could radically cut health care costs and become a huge global growth market."
Moss writes that in recent years, electronic health records, mobile devices and other health IT tools have started to improve health care delivery. He adds, "But imagine a far more extreme transformation, in which advances in information technology, biology and engineering allow us to move much of health care out of hospitals, clinics and doctors' offices, and into our everyday lives."
Moss describes how wireless medical sensors, mobile phone applications and telehealth technology could help consumers take on a greater role in managing their health care.
He writes that the federal website HealthData.gov -- which offers no-cost access to public health data -- is a step in the right direction because it helps innovators develop data-driven applications.
He concludes, "A bigger step would be for Congress to pass a bill that would orchestrate the development of interoperability and privacy standards for consumer health products and actively promote the industry at home and abroad" (Moss, New York Times, 11/9).
He adds that the trend "could radically cut health care costs and become a huge global growth market."
Moss writes that in recent years, electronic health records, mobile devices and other health IT tools have started to improve health care delivery. He adds, "But imagine a far more extreme transformation, in which advances in information technology, biology and engineering allow us to move much of health care out of hospitals, clinics and doctors' offices, and into our everyday lives."
Moss describes how wireless medical sensors, mobile phone applications and telehealth technology could help consumers take on a greater role in managing their health care.
He writes that the federal website HealthData.gov -- which offers no-cost access to public health data -- is a step in the right direction because it helps innovators develop data-driven applications.
He concludes, "A bigger step would be for Congress to pass a bill that would orchestrate the development of interoperability and privacy standards for consumer health products and actively promote the industry at home and abroad" (Moss, New York Times, 11/9).
Read more: http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2011/11/10/opinion-piece-says-us-poised-for-a-consumer-health-revolution.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Ihealthbeat+%28iHB%29#ixzz1dRniZXOK
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