Wonder why investment in the healthcare technology space is low compared with other forms of consumer-oriented tech? This article from Forbes reveals some possible reasons why. The writer (himself a physician in biopharm) proposes that tech investors are far more comfortable with informatics gurus, engineers and developers than with doctors. And the geeks don’t like docs either: “…it’s arresting how many technologists don’t also view doctors as a key element of the solution; instead, there seems to be a common, techno-utopian vision in which medicine has been profoundly disrupted, and the role of physicians largely replaced by computers.” (The Innovator’s Prescription not read past the charts) Doctors have a unique perspective re their patient relationships, but it occasionally is fuzzed (dealing with humans is that way) and always difficult. The opportunities, in Dr. Shaywitz’s view, center around enabling doctors: turning mHealth into mMedicine; behavior modification platforms that aren’t obnoxious; patient-centric care delivery design; and ‘chunking big data’ i.e. making it usable (Ed. Donna references IBM’s work with Watson in healthcare). Read down into Dr. Cory Annis’ comments which is as plain a ‘needs statement’ as one should get, especially the ones on doctor-patient eye contact and ‘overpaid secretary’. Want To Revolutionize Health? Enable Physicians, Don’t Replace Them Hat tip to reader George Margelis from Australia
2 thoughts on “Investment scant, the eHealth revolution needs repointing”
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I’m not too sure that general statement about investment int the healthcare technology space is low. My initial response is compared to what? But at least for me, investment in mobile health technologies is comparatively low as I am in this field, specifically in the diabetes mobile app space.
Not only for you but other companies, particularly as they get into later stages. It’s remarkable enough so that we cover it! Please see my article from 19 July 2011 on ‘Why does NYC lag in healthcare tech funding’–this is not a new complaint. I’m also active in Health 2.0 NYC and the #1 complaint is…guess what?