What’s Next in Health Care Innovation?

By Lynda

While June sparks the start of the summer and school vacations, it also marks the halfway point of the year. Ok, ok – so while we don’t need a countdown to the holiday season just yet, it might be time to reflect on the first half of 2008 – major milestones, medical breakthroughs, etc, but also think critically about the next half of the year.

Businessweek recently published an article, “The Cutting Edge of Health Care”, to examine the upcoming medical innovations we can expect from the health care industry. The article narrows a list down to eight innovations that they predict will have a large impact on the practice of medicine. Highlights include:

E-Care – The evolution to digital health records

Predictive/Preventive Care – Advanced diagnostic tools/genetic research that will be able to pinpoint which diseases we are most susceptible to; thereby customizing treatment plans

Culturally Adapted Treatment – Using the knowledge of culture and various demographic factors to change health and wellness behavior/treatments

It will be interesting to follow the medical innovations behind culturally adapted treatment – as almost every day there is a C.D.C report warning Americans our diets, exercise routines and general lifestyles are leaving us prone to serious health conditions – including today’s report that revealed Americans with diabetes has increased by 15 percent.

Read the Businessweek article and review the full list of major innovations in health care, do you agree with their list? What will support innovation in health care in 2008? What are the barriers?

Add comment June 25th, 2008