January 03, 2007
Consumer's Role in Health IT Grows
According to Modern Healthcare Online, next big thing in healthcare information technology in 2007, will be the role of consumers.
The foundation for such a move was set down in 2006 where coalitions of major employers and payers unveiled ambitious plans to try to empower their employees and plan members with personal health records. They also encouraged development of data-dependent quality improvement programs, and private and public sector pay-for-performance schemes.
The new trend shows more and more development around tools for the consumers, especially from employers, trying to use the consumer to be the vehicle to bring about change in healthcare.
One project called the Dossia project is just the first of many. It is a PHR joint-development effort launched in early December by corporate giants Applied Materials, BP America, Intel Corp., Pitney Bowes and Wal-Mart. Also last month, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and America's Health Insurance Plans revealed their own PHR project.
The Markle Foundation recently released results of a consumer survey that mirror those of surveys taken in 1999 and 2005 by the California HealthCare Foundation that indicate consumers are loath to share their personal clinical information with their employers or their insurers.
The degree of change will be affected by issues of privacy, convenience and cost. The Internet has attracted healthcare consumers who wish to gather health information online. It will only be a matter of time before they seek healthcare services online.