Defining Digital Health, the Tsunami That Is Overtaking the Current Model

A recent article about Denver's digital health boom caused me to ponder about some of the implications of the digital health mania that's coming down the road and how it will affect our current health care model (see:Denver ’s Digital Health Boom). Below is an excerpt from it:Medical care is no longer confined to the doctor ’s office. Or even, sometimes, to an actual doctor. That iPhone in your pocket now has the capability to diagnose your cough, answer insurance questions, and get you pregnant …or at least help the process along. Digital health (think: smartphones, social networks, and internet applications that provide patients with health information and better access to physicians) encompasses everything from Fitbits to electronic medical records to telehealth—and the trend is boom ing in Colorado. Employment in the medical device and diagnostic industry alone increased by 10 percent between 2012 and 2016 in the Denver metro area, which boasts the 11th-highest concentration of digital tech workers in the country....These local companies strive to reduce medical costs (and boost patient care) by curbing your poor decisions.... Fortunately, digital platforms designed to help individuals make smarter, healthier decisions are all the rage in Colorado.So how are these startups getting patients to be good? With bribes, of course.Welltok, a Denver-based pioneer in health-optimization software, hosts a digital platform calledCaf éWell that covers everythin...
Source: Lab Soft News - Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Electronic Health Record (EHR) Healthcare Business Healthcare Delivery Healthcare Information Technology Healthcare Innovations Healthcare Insurance Medical Consumerism Preventive Medicine Telemedicine Source Type: blogs