by Jeff Jacobsen, March 13, 2022
Like many folks my age, I am actively involved in assisting my aging parents with their healthcare issues. My mom is slipping into dementia, and my dad is scheduled to get an aortic heart valve replacement in February. Recently, I took my father to the cardiologist to discuss the upcoming procedure. The meeting was great. A young doctor showed a video of the procedure and a mock-up of a heart with the valve inserted. Then the cardiologist explained the entire procedure and risks, outlined his experience in performing the surgery and answered all of our questions. My dad left the meeting comfortable with the doctor and the procedure.
This meeting illustrated both the personal and evolutionary nature of healthcare. The technology to be applied in my father’s case is truly amazing but has been refined over time and is now considered routine. However, it was the expertise demonstrated and the interpersonal rapport established by the surgeon that gave my father the confidence that the procedure would be the right course of action for his condition.
What does an ideal healthcare system look like? I see technological advancements that act as key enablers to accelerate the evolution of healthcare solutions and to enable the providers to continually improve their ability to deliver personalized care. From a global perspective, the overall system will achieve greater overall utilization as provider networks are able to leverage technology to more efficiently match the appropriate level of resources to healthcare demands.
