Connectivity for Health

A few weeks ago I attended a healthcare conference and one of the keynote speakers mentioned the importance of technology in facilitating healthcare interactions with patients. In another session, the speaker described the relevance of understanding the key components of successful games to better understand what is necessary to build a successful online health experience for participants. While I was on Twitter yesterday, a world-renowned hospital posted a tweet about the value of social media for physicians.

Connectivity for health is a field that is only in its infancy. We are just beginning to understand how individuals make health decisions through consumer segmentation data, how one's culture can impact a person's likelihood to make behavior changes, how a social network can be used to facilitate and predict behavior change, and how individuals may adapt to new technologies as the access and use of these innovative tools become more prevalent.

The question is how the various stakeholders in the health arena will utilize this evolving medium of communication. Will healthcare choices and interventions feel more like Apps we download today? Will the physician-patient relationship ultimately change based on the use of technology and the access to healthcare information? Will healthcare consumers be guided through the maze of benefits and health management based on their personal needs, preferences and available resources captured through back-end technology? What role will the government, health plans, employers and vendors play in this evolving field?

I am not sure of the specific answers to these questions, but do know that the landscape of healthcare in the US is and will continue to change based on the technology available. Employers are looking for innovative solutions that "engage" their population in every aspect of their health. It is exciting to ponder the possibilities that new technologies will provide us, and overwhelming to contemplate how this changes the breath and depth of our efforts as healthcare professionals. Let's look at this as an opportunity to change how we have approached health management in the past, change how we implement health benefits, and better understand how technology can help individuals engage in their health on a daily basis.

What have you done to manage your health today? Did it involve the use of an App, website, online program, social network, text message? If not, could it have and would it have been more enjoyable, effective, and fun if it had? If it did, what were the reasons you engaged with the technology? Think about the possibilities we have upon us.