From TechCrunch:
It’s no secret that the U.S. healthcare system is in desperate need of change, especially as costs have continued to rise, while the quality of care remains the same. While technology will play a critical role in reversing this trend, many assume that improving outcomes is simply a matter of putting smarter technology in the doctor’s office. However, the problem isn’t a scourge of careless doctors or shoddy diagnostic tools.
Much of healthcare’s high costs only come after patients have left the hospital or clinic. Out of their physician’s immediate care, patients start acting like people. They forget to take their meds, realize they don’t understand their doctor’s instructions, and so on.
So, one of the most important steps we can take to improve the quality of healthcare? Find better ways to communicate with and engage patients once they leave the clinic or hospital. Current solutions aren’t cutting it: Today, 40 to 80 percent of medical infoprovided by doctors and practitioners is forgotten almost instantaneously. Pamphlets are static and confusing, and get discarded quickly… Read more.