Unleashing the Potential of Data in Healthcare
The executive summary from the 2019?OECD?(Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) report, "Health in the 21st Century: Putting Data to Work for Stronger Health Systems," captures a significant issue in healthcare:
"Health lags far behind other sectors in harnessing the potential of data and digital technology, missing the opportunity to save a significant number of lives and billions of dollars.
A digital transformation is urgently needed and long overdue at a time of increasing pressure on health systems and budgets. This means ensuring access to the right information by the right people at the right time. The results will be safer, better and more efficient health systems and healthier populations." (1)
Digital transformation in healthcare is happening, but it is slow - slow compared to expectations and slow compared to what has transpired in other industries. The recent wave of investment in 'Digital Health' startup companies is certainly helping to accelerate this transformation, but some significant organizational and cultural roadblocks must be overcome to enable substantial change. This post focuses on the opportunity for existing healthcare providers and insurers to adopt more data-driven approaches to patient care, and looks to historical lessons from the digital commerce transformation that began more than 20 years ago...