Healthcare IT’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ Problem
A recent report by the AHA highlights the progress with interoperability and the challenges ahead. However, it leaves us with nagging doubts about the pace of progress and whether we are addressing interoperability challenges comprehensively enough. In JRR Tolkien’s classic Lord of the Rings, the battle in middle earth is about getting control of the “one ring […]
Healthcare Technology Markets: 5 Predictions for 2019
Digital transformation is gaining momentum; however healthcare enterprises will proceed cautiously. Our work with healthcare enterprises indicates that health systems are investing in specific programs such as telehealth and remote monitoring. While these initiatives gather momentum, other digital health programs are struggling to emerge from pilot deployment and also face competing priorities for discretionary budgets. […]
The Battle of The Health Clouds
Several large tech firms have launched health clouds to tap into the burgeoning digital health ecosystem. However, the health cloud value proposition may not be entirely clear at this time. At a recent event, I witnessed a panel discussion featuring senior executives from top tech firms discussing their plans for healthcare. They were steadfast in […]
National Health IT Week 2018: 3 Trends That Will Drive the Future of Technology in Healthcare
It is National Health IT week. Three significant technology trends will drive healthcare’s digital transformation. October 8-12 is National Health IT week (NHIT Week). Healthcare IT has gone through dramatic changes in the past decade. Driven by a need to rein in runaway healthcare cost increases, the federal govt passed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) […]
Global IT Consulting Firms In Healthcare: In Search of the New Killer App
Global IT consulting firms, especially those with an India heritage, have had a long run at high growth rates, fueled by one idea: Outsourcing information technology (IT) operations to countries with low labor costs and a skilled engineering talent pool with a strong English language proficiency offered a huge arbitrage opportunity. The Indian IT services […]
Digital health investments: between a rock and a ‘kill zone’
Even with high levels of VC funding, startups can face a number of “kill zones” where innovators can be put out of business simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Digital health startups need a “moat.” At a recent healthcare conference I attended in Silicon Valley, I met an entrepreneur who […]
Addressing AI’s Adoption Gap Problem in Healthcare
The steady drumbeat of optimistic forecasts for artificial intelligence (AI) adoption across sectors has continued unabated this year. Analyst firm Frost & Sullivan fired the latest round with a report predicting that AI and cognitive computing will save $150 billion for the healthcare industry by 2025. The report checks off all the usual suspects that […]
Why big tech firms are going after the primary care experience
Think Amazon Prime for healthcare (without a return policy). However, it’s complicated. A few months back, I had argued in this column that the coming battle in health care would be over who “owns” the consumer. Recent research and market developments both point to how this is playing out among the traditional and non-traditional firms, as well […]
National Health System: ITO Contract Restructuring for Service Quality Improvements and Price Renegotiation
National Health System: ITO Contract Restructuring for Service Quality Improvements and Price Renegotiation The client, a major health system, needed expert help to restructure a large outsourcing contract for improved service quality, while adjusting contract pricing to reflect significant scope changes and market benchmarks. Background The client had entered into a very large IT outsourcing […]
What my backyard squirrel taught me about technical debt
We have had a long-standing feud with a squirrel who lives somewhere in our backyard. The issue: he insists on eating the bird food that we diligently keep filling out in the feeders every day of the summer. I would be OK if the squirrel ate a bit and left the rest for the birds, […]
