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Medullan co-sponsors 4th annual CCH symposium
10/22/07 - Highlights from the 4th Annual Connected Health Symposium Building the Connected Health Economy: Innovation, Implementation and Investment.
The Center for Connected Health’s 4th Annual Connected Health Symposium was opened to a record number of participants by Joe Ternullo, Associate Director at the Center for Connected Health. Mr. Ternullo called upon the 800-plus participants to take advantage of an interactive format to forge new and meaningful collaborations.
Hon. Richard T. Moore, Senate Chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on Health Care Financing, Massachusetts General Court, then proposed two “essential discussions” in healthcare today -- economics and incentives -- and suggested that healthcare information technology (HIT) can support high quality, universal care. Following a brief review of Massachusetts’ mandate for universal health care and support for the life sciences, Senator Moore urged symposium participants to become allies in promoting health care for all.
There were a number of provocative and insightful sessions and keynote presentations throughout the two-day conference, ranging from virtual, online social networking and employee wellness programs to economic considerations for connected health.
Macroeconomics of Connected Health
David Cutler, Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics and Dean for the Social Sciences at Harvard University, provided an economist’s perspective on connected health in the first keynote address of the symposium. Beginning with an ingeniously simple definition of a good healthcare system -- that everyone is insured and the system provides high value services -- Dr. Cutler proffered the notion that the cost of providing high value services is not about how much, but how well, the healthcare system expends resources.
According to Dr. Cutler, the United States misappropriates spending in healthcare, spending $400-$500 billion a year on unnecessary medical care. Certain types of health care are underutilized, citing for example that only 25% of depressed patients and a third of people with hypertension are successfully treated despite the fact that good treatments have been available since the 1950s. He believes back-end technology can be particularly helpful in mitigating resource misallocation.
Dr. Cutler pointed out that the healthcare system has not adequately addressed ways of helping patients to succeed with their medical regimen when their behavior is a critical component of the care rendered (ex: taking medications). Only 50% of patient-directed medical regimens are successful. Front-end technology can be applied to improve adherence, and patients who take part in technology-driven adherence programs are convinced of their value, said Dr. Cutler.
In terms of promoting connected health, he believes that standard setting is a critical first step to promoting investment, and that the federal government is best suited to manage the process. Dr. Cutler estimated that it will cost $150-$200 billion to create a national connected health data network. Revisions to the system he would like to see include tying provider pay to best practices and creating incentives for preventive care programs. In closing, Cutler charged attendees to find ways to persuade stakeholders that they should immediately invest in technology. More Info