Our health care system is expensive largely because it is reactive, attempting to correct problems that have already occurred. And those problems are often the result of long-term neglect on behalf of the patient. Our health care system would be much less expensive if its focus became predominantly proactive: aimed at keeping people healthy. This [...]
Hierarchy of Needs 05/03/2012
Most of us are familiar with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs that progresses from the most basic physiological needs up to the needs of self-actualization. A similar thing is going on with respect to products. That is, users have different needs relating to the products they use. The lowest level is function: the user just wants [...]
Transparency 04/24/2012
“Good design is as little design as possible” – Dieter Rams Dieter Rams is an icon of design. His work is based on simplicity and economy. Many of the designs he did for Braun in the 1960’s are as fresh today as they were then. Medical device designers can learn a lot from the way [...]
The Greatest Challenge 04/16/2012
The TedMed 2012 conference was held last week. I was not able to attend, but the reports I’ve read indicate that preventative health was a big topic. In fact, of the 50 challenges proposed in TedMed’s Great Challenges program, the challenge voted number one was “inventing wellness programs that work”. From the TedMed.com challenges brochure: [...]
Taking Charge 04/10/2012
Taking responsibility for your own well being is going to be almost mandatory in the future. No longer will we have the luxury of being passive consumers of health care managed and directed by others. We will need to be active participants in our own care, and we will need to know a lot more [...]
It’s All About Preventative Care 04/03/2012
PBS has documentary about several health systems in the US that are delivering quality health care to all citizens at the lowest cost. You can watch it here. There are a number of aspects that make these systems work in reducing health care costs. Chief among them is the fact that they focus on providing [...]
Data-enhanced Imaging 03/27/2012
New information out of the University of Pittsburgh reinforces what we have been saying about enhanced imaging techniques: computer analysis will be used to augment imaging technologies to provide far greater clarity than we can achieve presently. The technique being developed at Pitt uses algorithms that analyze MRI scans to create brain images of neuron [...]
Health Care’s Future 03/20/2012
Medtech Insider points to a study just released by Ernst & Young that provides more evidence that what we have been saying for some time now is gaining acceptance: the best way to drive down health care costs is to engage in preventative care so that people remain healthy longer. The E&Y report emphasizes that [...]
A Systems Approach to Health Care 03/13/2012
Microsoft and GE recently announced partnership in their “Caradigm” venture, scheduled to launch in 2012. From the press release: “Caradigm will be aimed at driving a paradigm shift in the delivery of care by enabling health systems and professionals to use real-time, systemwide intelligence to improve healthcare quality and the patient experience. Upon formation, the [...]
You Will Need to Take Care of Your Own 03/06/2012
Your own health, that is. The days of trusting your care solely to your doctor is quickly coming to an end. We’ve been saying this for awhile, but more and more people are picking up on the fact that patients will need to become partners in their own health care. Medical insurance premiums are not [...]