In response to President Obama's call for recommendations on health care reform, the Center for Connected Health, a division of Partners HealthCare, convened an online Community Health Discussion in December, to explore the opportunities and advantages connected health, population management and participatory medicine can offer to health care reform. A report of the discussion findings was submitted to President Obama's Presidential Transition Health Policy Team, led by Secretary of Health and Human Services Nominee Tom Daschle. Over 30 participants, including academic and business leaders, technologists, physicians, health insurers, patients and payers, took part in the discussion. The Center's final report submitted to the Obama team addressed how connected health and its core tools – physiologic monitoring presented to the patient in a meaningful way, and data-driven coaching to help individuals make positive lifestyle and health behavior changes – could play a critical role in transforming health care delivery, improving quality and expanding access to care throughout the U.S.
Glad to hear about the push in preventative care as well as an initiative to get healthcare facilities to implement Electronic Health Records. Currently about 4% are up and running with the rest to fall into place by 2014. Could get interesting.